>Date: Fri, 7 Jun 2002 15:17:08 +0100 >From: Joe Farr >Subject: Re: [EE]: IEE position statement"The Possible....." >MIME-Version: 1.0 >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" >I've read articles that EM fields of certain frequencies might even be good for you. >A net search on 'Royal Rife' (an American chap - now dead) and 'MOR' covers off a lot about this subject. >Rife postulated that all cells have different resonant frequencies. If you can find the frequency for say a type of >cancer, you can destroy the cells. >Everyday Practical Electronics mag did a very interesting article in April 2001 about the subject. It is reprinted on >the http://www.rife.de website for those who are interested. Rife was a quack. His theories were pure pseudo-science. It was one of tens of quack theories which seem to be more in the USA than Europe, expecially at the beginning of the last century. The development of the electron microscope after the WW2 showed that there were no effects on particular cells at particular frequencies. Rifes theory was a theory put forward before you could resolve below the wavelength of light. Many people imagined they could resolve below it and put forward theories to explain what they thought they saw. His was one. For a full discussion see http://www.quackwatch.com and search for Rife. (Another related problem in the 1930's was trying to find out if nerve endings ended electrically onto other cells or muscle fibres. It could not be done since the terminations were also below the wavelength of light. Sir John Eccles got the Nobel Prize for his work showing the endings were small gaps called synapses and transmitter packets moved over the gap to convey the nerve impulse etc. The gaps explained much pharmacology and were postulated even before they could actually be seen.) It is to be regretted that some electronics magazines like Everyday Practical Electronics have had to resort to selling into the fringe medicine population in order to maintain circulation. EPE has also publish Quack items like Hulla Clarkes 'Zapper' and TENS units. The Rife article was a huge 10 pages as I recall - more than their usual mainstream articles. I think Poptronics has also published pseudoscience articles in the last few years. Most pseudoscientific theories fall away; but some like chiropractic live on and actually thrive despite having zero evidence in support. The bottom line seems to be that pseudoscience which treats the 'worried-well' doesn't do much harm. But that discussion is for another newsgroup, not this one. :-) regards, Peter Crowcroft DIY Electronics (HK) Ltd PO Box 88458, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong Factory: voice 852-2304 2250 Fax: 852-2729 1400 M/F, 97 Fuk Wa Street, Sham Shui Po Home: voice 852-2720 0255 Mobile: 6273 2049 Web: http://www.kitsrus.com Email: peter@kitsrus.com Yahoo Messenger 'peter5999' with webcam Pay with Paypal: peter@kitsrus.com ------------------------------------------------------------- -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.