Navy wants to post trucks with electromagnetic radiation equipment on West End
peninsuladailynews.com
peninsuladailynews.com
Quote: "Extended close exposure to electromagnetic radiation could be a health hazard."
Yes, and (1) sitting outside too long can get you sunburned (sunlight is electromagnetic radiation), and (2) defeating the safety interlocks on a microwave oven is a very bad idea. Which degree of threat is the reporter telling us about?
Of course it is. Reporters aren't supposed to simply reprint the content of press releases as in this case, they're supposed to dig up some facts, something not covered by self-serving public relations documents.
> The only information I could find is "(3) the beam pattern emitted is directional, which minimizes the area exposed to radiation".
Yes, and that's true for sunlight also. It's just not at all informative. If anyone cared to, they could visit the Navy public relations office and ask a few pointed questions. Most likely, the Navy would say it's a relatively high-powered microwave transmitter, with a beam directed upwards to the intended target (fighter jets overhead), with about the power of a microwave oven with the door open.
I'm not saying they would give that exact reply, but it would be likely to resemble it. But for that to happen, a real journalist would have to be on the job.