RFID Chips, Cancer?

[ecoli]

I heard this woman talking on the radio, and I liked what she was saying against [implantable] RFID chips. Her argument was based on the slippery slope [fallacy] but if history has shown us anything, it's that this argument can come to pass.

 

I was even considering donating to her website, http://www.antichip.com, until she started talking about how implatable RFID chips is the Mark of the Beast talked about in the bible... ugg.

 

Anyway, on their website, they have links showing RFID implanted chips causing cancer in animals. I can't tell if the research is legit however. But, it is, it could add an interesting angle to the debate.

[YT2095]

it`s bad enough having your wallet stolen for your ID, but Much better than some criminal hacking away at you with a rusty spoon to try and dig the ID chip out of your flesh!

[DrP]

RFID chips is the Mark of the Beast talked about in the bible... ugg.

 

 

Believable or not, it definately says in Revalations that one day no-one will be able to buy or sell without the mark. i.e. if you don't get the chip, you don't get to go shopping. It also says that they mark (the chip) will go under the skin on the hand or in the forehead - which is exactly the place 'they' are planning to make you have the chips installed. Could just be co-incidence though!?

 

(NB - I'm keeping my personal beliefs out of this - I'm just stating what the book says).

[iNow]

Anyway, on their website, they have links showing RFID implanted chips causing cancer in animals. I can't tell if the research is legit however. But, it is, it could add an interesting angle to the debate.

 

Ignoring the mark of the beast idiocy and other BS biblical prophecy...

 

For the chip to cause cancer, it would need to send out some sort of EM radiation. The first step would be to find out what radiation the chip emits, it's frequency, magnitude, etc... then test that against living tissue and see if it results in cancerous output.

 

It reminds me a bit about the old thing where everyone discussed cell phones and how holding them so close to us all of the time results in cancer... Think of chip as a tiny cell phone, and see if you can apply the research done with cell phones to RFIDs.

[John Cuthber]

The chips are here. Some clubs use them as ID badges to let you queue jump.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/05/19/veripay/

They are not implanted in the head, but in the upper arm. So far as the book is relevant, it's wrong here.

They also wouldn't have been permited to do this if there were any credible evidence of a cancer risk.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

As far as I know, implantable RFID tags are passive (because they can't easily carry a power source), so they emit no more radiation than the tag reader does.

 

The research about RFID tags causing cancer was apparently a test with rats in which 10% of the rats developed malignant tumors at the site of the injected tag. VeriChip (who makes the chips) says it's a rat-only phenomenon. (PDF warning)

[Mr Skeptic]

As far as I know, implantable RFID tags are passive (because they can't easily carry a power source), so they emit no more radiation than the tag reader does.

 

They could emit a different frequency.

 

The research about RFID tags causing cancer was apparently a test with rats in which 10% of the rats developed malignant tumors at the site of the injected tag. VeriChip (who makes the chips) says it's a rat-only phenomenon. (PDF warning)

 

10% getting tumors is a bit excessive. I'd be suspicious of a rat-only phenomenon.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

The Wikipedia article on VeriChip has various links to PubMed articles on the subject if you're interested in perusing further.

[tvp45]

Believable or not, it definately says in Revalations that one day no-one will be able to buy or sell without the mark. i.e. if you don't get the chip, you don't get to go shopping. It also says that they mark (the chip) will go under the skin on the hand or in the forehead - which is exactly the place 'they' are planning to make you have the chips installed. Could just be co-incidence though!?

 

(NB - I'm keeping my personal beliefs out of this - I'm just stating what the book says).

 

This is mostly a case of not using primary source(s). One has to look at the original Greek to get a clear meaning of Revelation. The phrase "in the hand" was from cheir [sorry, I can't find the accent mark for the e] which conveys the idea of grasping. Likewise, the word "mark" was charagma meaning basically a badge or stamp. The closest we would come to this today is getting your hand stamped as you enter a concert, or perhaps carrying a ticket stub.

 

Religious fundamentalists tend to treat the King James Bible as though it were a primary source; it is not.

[foodchain]

This is mostly a case of not using primary source(s). One has to look at the original Greek to get a clear meaning of Revelation. The phrase "in the hand" was from cheir [sorry, I can't find the accent mark for the e] which conveys the idea of grasping. Likewise, the word "mark" was charagma meaning basically a badge or stamp. The closest we would come to this today is getting your hand stamped as you enter a concert, or perhaps carrying a ticket stub.

 

Religious fundamentalists tend to treat the King James Bible as though it were a primary source; it is not.

 

 

Hey, those chips or really how about something similar could make finding people in say rubble from a terrorist attack easier.

[CaptainPanic]

I won't even have a discussion about those chips.

 

Our world really is not such a mess that we need those things. Whether they cause cancer or not, they are not necessary. I can walk in the streets safely, 24 hrs/day. Criminality has reached an all-time low. Terrorism is extremely overestimated. There's just no reason for these things.

[foodchain]

I won't even have a discussion about those chips.

 

Our world really is not such a mess that we need those things. Whether they cause cancer or not, they are not necessary. I can walk in the streets safely, 24 hrs/day. Criminality has reached an all-time low. Terrorism is extremely overestimated. There's just no reason for these things.

 

Its not just terrorism. What about natural disasters? It should at least be an optional decision someone could make. I would be more or less worried about the widespread application of such in wildlife. I mean the interaction of the environment and organism to a chemical level or possibly even chemical ecology is hardly understood. Who knows how many mutations in time alone will be caused by the high presence of any numerous compounds, yet sit and worry about a semiconductor embedded in the flesh sounds like a bit late of a worry I would suggest. Many who fancy being cyborgs may take to it sort of like a fetish even, personally I think it may also cause widespread damage in the marital communities of the world, giving modern lore of the subject.

 

In truth the cancer rate does seem way to high for any applications I would like it for, its just that most material things can easily be gotten rid of like a cell phone. So say someone you know gets in one of those odd car accidents out in the middle of nowhere, which roads like such do exist and get use, maybe the car could have some super beacon resistant to all kinds of damage. I think safety technology should be paramount. I mean many fatal injuries only become such as the damage is allowed to persist, such as bleeding. Faster times to rescue could only increase survival rates I would think, and that’s just one of numerous possible benefits really.