Now here is a study that most men (and their wives) of reproductive age should take to heart.

The Center for Reproductive Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic conducted a study that involved sampling the semen of 32 men, which exhibited similar sperm health. The samples were kept at constant temperature and other similar conditions, while being split into a control group and a test group. The test group was placed for an hour within 2.5 cm of a cell phone in talk mode, at 850 MHz, perhaps the most common cell phone frequency.

The exposure to the simulated cell transmission led to an increase in oxidative stress, with free radicals and oxidants being created at a higher rate and antioxidants being broken down. Dr. Agarwal, The Center for Reproductive Medicine, said this stress equates to damaged sperm. Agarwal continued, “On average, there was an 85 percent increase in the amount of free radicals for all the subjects in the study. Free radicals have been linked to a variety of diseases in humans including cancer.”

Does this mean that we are all going to have mutant children and testicular cancer due to carrying a cell phone in our front pocket? Unlikely. But from a statisticians calculations, this will increase rates of both in a population. There will be losers in the game of genetic chance.

An a broader scale I have to ask, what are to risks to by ears or brain by talking on a phone? We know that using a hands free device is recommended for this very reason. And how are the myriad of various wireless transmissions all round us, which are growing in number, power, and frequency range every day? Time will tell. And like global warming, it is likely too late to stop now.