Health

CBS4 I-Team Puts Cell Phone Video To The Test

Can Cell Phones Really Pop Corn?

MIAMI (CBS4) ― A viral video making waves on the internet has sparked debate over how safe cell phones are on the brain. The video, produced by Cardo Systems, shows cell phones arranged around a few kernels of corn. Suddenly, as the phones ring, the kernels appear to pop.

The CBS4 I-Team put it to the test and arranged four cell phones around some popcorn. Nothing popped. As it turns out, the video is a hoax. What appears to be a homemade video is actually an elaborate marketing campaign for Cardo's bluetooth headsets. In fact, experts tell CBS4 News that if the video were real, it would mean the radiation from cell phones is strong enough to make a person's head explode.

Hoax or not, the video sparks an interesting debate -- a debate showing that when it comes to cell phones and health, the jury is still out.

For example, a ten-year German study released last week shows that cell phones are safe and pose no cancer risk. Meanwhile, a UCLA study to be published later this month, says pregnant mothers using mobile handsets are more likely to have children with behavioral problems.

The results from the different studies over the years are so confusing, and oftentimes contradictory, that even doctors aren't willing to take the risk.

"I change sides. I do use a headset. I will use it on speakerphone. I just think it moderates whatever exposure there is," said Dr. Stewart Fleishman at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York.

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