Science Media Centre

A new report detailing an increase in tumours in male rats exposed to cell phone radiation has been widely reported in international media. The study, undertaken by the US National Toxicology Program, reports ‘low incidence’ of two types of tumors in the brains and hearts of male rats exposed to cell phone radiation. The research […]

New research shows men who keep a mobile phone in their trouser pocket could be inadvertently damaging their chances of becoming a father. However, independent experts question the clinical significance of the impacts found in the study. Researchers from the  University of Exeter conducted a systematic review of the findings from ten studies, including 1,492 […]

The UK’s largest programme of research into possible health risks from mobile phone technology has this week published its final report, and finds no evidence of biological or adverse health effects. The report, produced by the Mobile Telecommunications & Health Research Programme was the product of 11 years of detailed research. You can read the […]

New research from the University of Canterbury has shown that reading text-speak – the abbreviated writing many of us use in text messages – is harder on the brain than reading plain English. Psychologists from the university have been picking apart the differences between the reading normal English and ‘text-speak’, that digital pseudo-language which skips […]

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is assessing the carcinogenic hazards associated with exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields. They are looking at: (a) occupational exposures to radiation from radar and to microwaves, (b) environmental exposures associated with transmission of signals for radio, television and wireless telecommunication, and (c) personal exposures associated with the […]

Increasing mobile phone use has led to public concern about possible cancer risks.  The long-anticipated Interphone study is the largest, most comprehensive study on the risks to date, published today in the International Journal of Epidemiology. The 10-year study is an interview-based, case-control study of mobile phone use in adults and focuses on the two […]

Tony Lambert, senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Auckland and Charlene Hallett has recently submitted an MSc thesis investigating cellphone use and driving, discuss the pitfalls of hands-free and handheld mobile phone use while driving. “It appears that the conversation itself is the vital factor, rather than the physical demand of holding and […]