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Comment by s_q_b | Hacker News Reader

If this effect exists, it's probably due to the temperature rather than any ionizing radiation.

Evolution goes so far as to keep its most important reproductive organ outside the protection of the body in order to keep them cool.

I can't imagine heating them up is a very good idea, either with a cellphone or a laptop.

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The article mentions that there seems to be an effect even if the phone is kept somewhere like a bedside table. Which would seem to indicate it is not only heat. It doesn't really go into much detail about the cause though.

I'm waiting for someone to start selling tin foil lined pants.

That's a kickstarter waiting to happen.

>there seems to be an effect even if the phone is kept somewhere like a bedside table. Which would seem to indicate it is not only heat

It seems to indicate that there is something wrong with this study.

The Tin Cup(tm).

> If this effect exists, it's probably due to the temperature rather than any ionizing radiation.

There's a possible third mechanism for electromagnetic radiation to affect cells. It is known that DNA is conductive, and there are researchers who believe that the mechanism that detects and repairs damage uses this to detect damage [1]...kind of analogous to the way we might try to isolate a break in a cable using a continuity checker.

There is research that shows that DNA can act as a fractal antenna over a range of non-ionizing frequencies [2], implying that electromagnetic radiation at non-ionizing frequencies could cause currents in DNA. If those researchers who believe that conductivity is used to find damage are right, then it could be that currents induced by DNA acting as a fractal antenna could confuse the damage detection mechanism, causing it to fail to recognize that a damaged section of DNA is damaged and so not repair it.

I wonder if sperm would be more sensitive than normal cells to disruption of DNA repair?

[1] https://www.caltech.edu/news/caltech-chemist-jacqueline-bart...

[2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21457072

They are talking about sperm count though. Not intrinsic sperm dna quality.

Do you mean a phone in your pocket, when not actively in use during calls or texting etc, gets warm enough to affect tissue a couple of cm away from it? That seems a bit unlikely, no?

I'm not sure "unlikely" is the right word. There's a lot of advice to men to wear boxers, not briefs, because "briefs raise temperature".

This article (1999) says it's not proved: http://edition.cnn.com/HEALTH/men/9906/14/men.infertility/

This article gives two reports that did show an effect: (2015) http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/men-those-tightie-whitie...

Having something warm in your pocket, which also makes everything a bit tighter, may increase temperature a bit. And raised temperature might be bad. So it's not smoking gun, but it's not totally implausible.

That's a good point, could it be more of laptop use that is doing the damage, not necessarily the phone?

So people that carry a mobile phone around all the time could also be using a laptop on the lap for extended periods.

It is an excellent idea if you don't want babies. Jocks (the underpants) probably have more effect though.

I'm convinced that modern briefs are mens' version of high-heels -- Worn only for their appearance yet totally dysfunctional. We've all been duped by hot CK guys in tight pants.

... or trousers, or daily hot showers or baths.

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