Funny T-Shirts

We may be "sicker than we have ever been before" but since the life expectancy in the U.S. is higher now than it has ever been, it would appear that we aren't VERY sick....

"since the life expectancy in the U.S. is higher now than it has ever been, it would appear that we aren't VERY sick...."
Let me argue that point very easily...just because we may have a longer life expectancy, that says nothing about quality of life. And truly, the quality of life of those longer years is argueably BAD, very bad, with seniors more drugged, doped up, and langushing in nursing homes for years than ever before. Your supposition that we aren't very sick just doesn't hold true given the current statistics of the World Health Organization. Autoimmune disease has increased at alarming rates. Diabetes is at epidemic levels. Cancers are higher than ever. Alzheimer's statistics are frightening. No, we aren't very sick at all....if you believe that, you haven't been doing ANY research.

"According to Dr. Mercola's hugely popular website, the dangers of microwave ovens are proven. His article at http://www.mercola.com/article/microwave/hazards2.htm points out the tactics that have been used to squelch information that should be more thoroughly disseminated."
-- posted by pattyf77 on Apr. 28th

Actually, what that article shows is that the author either has a very poor grasp of logic and the most basic and well-proven science, or else that he's throwing in lots of irrelevancies to try to "dazzle people with science" in order to push his own views. And it also shows how to conduct an experiment in such a poor way as to result in nothing useable, and how to then take the useless results of the experiment and jump to conclusions.

The following is a summary of the Russian investigations published by the Atlantis Raising Educational Center in Portland, Oregon. Carcinogens were formed in virtually all foods tested. No test food was subjected to more microwaving than necessary to accomplish the purpose, i.e., cooking, thawing, or heating to insure sanitary ingestion. Here's a summary of some of the results:

Microwaving prepared meats sufficiently to insure sanitary ingestion caused formation of d-Nitrosodienthanolamines, a well-known carcinogen.
Microwaving milk and cereal grains converted some of their amino acids into carcinogens.
Thawing frozen fruits converted their glucoside and galactoside containing fractions into carcinogenic substances.
Extremely short exposure of raw, cooked or frozen vegetables converted their plant alkaloids into carcinogens.
Carcinogenic free radicals were formed in microwaved plants, especially root vegetables.
Decrease in nutritional value

Russian researchers also reported a marked acceleration of structural degradation leading to a decreased food value of 60 to 90% in all foods tested. Among the changes observed were:

Deceased bio-availability of vitamin B complex, vitamin C, vitamin E, essential minerals and lipotropics factors in all food tested.
Various kinds of damaged to many plant substances, such as alkaloids, glucosides, galactosides and nitrilosides.
The degradation of nucleo-proteins in meats.
Microwave sickness is discovered

The Russians did research on thousands of workers who had been exposed to microwaves during the development of radar in the 1950's. Their research showed health problems so serious that the Russians set strict limits of 10 microwatts exposure for workers and one microwatt for civilians.

In Robert O. Becker's book, The Body Electric, he described Russian research on the health effects of microwave radiation, which they called "microwave sickness." On page 314, Becker states:

"It's [Microwave sickness] first signs are low blood pressure and slow pulse. The later and most common manifestations are chronic excitation of the sympathetic nervous system [stress syndrome] and high blood pressure. This phase also often includes headache, dizziness, eye pain, sleeplessness, irritability, anxiety, stomach pain, nervous tension, inability to concentrate, hair loss, plus an increased incidence of appendicitis, cataracts, reproductive problems, and cancer. The chronic symptoms are eventually succeeded by crisis of adrenal exhaustion and ischemic heart disease [the blockage of coronary arteries and heart attacks]."

For reference:

http://www.herbalhealer.com/microwave.html

In another experiment, anthroposophist A. Bohmert, reported that water samples were heated, some in a microwave oven and others conventionally, and then left to cool before use. These water samples were used to bring grain to germination. The grain in contact with microwaved water was the only one that did not germinate.

It's obvious that a controversy exists and we are not likely to find any clear-cut answers anytime soon. But what I want to suggest to you is that this controversy exists for a reason. People are not just running around and making things up because they have nothing better to do. There is a reason for the concern. If you have never been sick, you will not see the need for a cure. But if you have been seriously ill, you will never again take your health for granted, and will begin to question everything that previously looked safe or benign on the basis that some corporation or person claims it is. I've been there...and found that there is much, much more going on behind the scenes than our government or medical professionals will admit. I choose God's natural design over anything man-made, simply because man is fickle. God is not.

So far, all of the evidence against microwave-cooked food has been of the following types:

1. Microwaves can be harmful. This is true. However, we're not talking about microwaves. We're talking about food. Heat can be harmful, so do we say that food cooked in an oven is dangerous? We can drown in water, so do we not eat food that has been washed?

2. Scalding hot food can scald people. Again, that is true. Again, that isn't really relevant.

3. Microwaving food reduces its nutritional value. True. That's what cooking does. And though we have, by hearsay basically, one anonymous experiment published in a very minor journal that may show that microwaving food greatly reduces the nutritional value of food, we have plenty of other widely-known tests (you can check with the FDA for some of them, if you want) showing that it can actually leave more nutrients than other forms of cooking.

4. Washington D.C. and the microwave producers are conspiring to suppress the evidence against microwave ovens. This idea is just ludicrous. First, if they were conspiring, then they wouldn't allow all these websites and publications to be out protesting against microwaves and showing off the information that they're working so hard to suppress. Secondly, since when has Washington had complete control over China, and Russia, and Japan, and Germany, and France, and all these other countries out there?

5. Russian tests have proven microwaved food is harmful, and they banned microwaves. Well, the first bunch of tests all concluded that microwaves are harmful, not microwaved food (see the first point above). And due to the possible effects of microwaves leaking from poorly made microwave ovens, the ovens were banned. But notice that now microwaves are common enough in Russia.

And as for the "Russian investigations published by the Atlantis Raising Educational Center in Portland" that are constantly being alluded to, since when have the results of a single test, which was published in a journal for peer-review (publication in a journal does not automatically mean that something is conclusively proven) and then re-worded and given out second-hand by biased sources, been considered reliable evidence? And why is there no further word on these tests, such as news of them being validated?

6. A Swiss scientist proved that microwaved food is harmful, but has been suppressed by "the establishment". First of all, this is again just one test. Secondly, it was tested on a tiny sample size, apparently without any independent check on the experiment or the results. Third, he really made some rather huge assumptions when explaining his conclusions. And finally, in the dozen or so years since it was carried out, nobody else (even those who believe the guy) have apparently duplicated his results.

7. A woman was given microwaved blood in a transfusion, and she died. This is true. Microwaving the blood causes the blood cells to burst, due to all the heat. This makes the blood unusable, filled with nothing but dead cells. This is only a concern, though, if you make a habit of microwaving your blood. It has nothing to do with food being harmful.

8. Various random bits of trivia about such things as how the Nazis invented microwave ovens, or that microwaves have been tested for use in brainwashing, or that microwaves are a form of radiation. All of which may be true, but is also totally irrelevant. It's just thrown in to form negative mental associations for the reader (e.g. "Nazis are bad, therefore what the Nazis did was bad, therefore microwave ovens must be bad").

"In another experiment, anthroposophist A. Bohmert, reported that water samples were heated, some in a microwave oven and others conventionally, and then left to cool before use. These water samples were used to bring grain to germination. The grain in contact with microwaved water was the only one that did not germinate."

Anthroposophist?

And I have used microwaved water to germinate seeds on quite a few occasions. I would heat it up to better dissolve plant food and suchlike in it.

Actually, I think I may try doing the experiment with seeds myself, and record the results. Hmm...I'll need to work out the best way to limit variables and things like that.

One variable you may want to limit is pruning the microwave plant until it dies.

Okay, I've set up a test of my own here.

Equipment:
9 plastic yoghurt cups (for pots), 3 labeled A, 3 labeled B, and 3 labeled C
3 small Pyrex bowls (for pots), labeled A, B, or C
3 small glass bowls (for pots), labeled A, B, or C
48 dried kidney beans
Potting soil
1 pint Pyrex measuring cup
3 glasses, labeled red, yellow, or blue

Preparations:
All of the pots were thoroughly washed and dried. The potting soil was thoroughly mixed, and equal amounts of it were put into each pot in random order. The beans were all put in a bowl and drawn out in random order to be placed in each pot. There are to be three beans in each pot, except for in the Pyrex bowls (which are slightly larger than the others, and will each have four).

The pots are grouped into threes: one in each group for water that has been unheated, one for water that has been microwaved to a strong boil, and one for water that has been heated to a strong boil in the oven.

The Experiment:
The groups of three pots are to be located in various positions around the house. The three glass bowls, the three Pyrex bowls, and three of the plastic cups will be grouped together, with the alphabetical placement of each cup in each set varying. Each of the other two groups of three plastic cups will be located in a different place in the house. This will hopefully give some indication if any germination or failure to germinate is potentially due to environmental factors other than the water (e.g. lighting, temperature, alien death rays, et cetera).

In each case, the water is to be collected, heated (if it is to be heated), and poured into one of the three glasses using the 1 pint Pyrex cup. The preparation of the water and the pouring it into the three glasses is to be done by one person, the pouring of the water from the glasses onto the beans by a second. This way, the person watering the plants has no knowledge of which water was treated in which way.

Each pot labeled "A" is to be given water only from the glass labeled with a certain specific colour throughout the experiment. Pots labeled "B" and "C" are to be treated likewise. Which colour glass is to be used with which letter of pot is to be known only to the individual watering the plants. In this way, the person preparing the water will not know which plants are receiving which type of water.

All of the pots in each test group are to be watered as simultaneously as possible, with the same amounts of water. Nothing else is to be given to the beans at any time. If anything is given to any pot, then it is to be added to the other two pots in the group in the same amount. If any pot is moved for any reason, then the others in the group will likewise be moved. All treatment for all three pots in each group is to be the same.

Testing for germination will conclude after two weeks if no germination occurs, or if a week passes with no new germinations. The beans will be monitored for germination, as well as the apparent health and growth rate of any shoots. If there is sufficient germination among the different experimental groups to warrant it, then the experiment may be carried on for additional weeks to monitor the growth of the bean plants as they mature.

Pictures will be taken of each pot at the start of the experiment. At the first sign of germination in any pot, then pictures of every pot shall be taken on a daily basis. A daily log will also be kept for each pot.

At the end of the experiment, the results will be studied to compare the germination rates of experiment groups A, B, and C. It will then be determined whether any group displayed an overall better or worse germination rate than the other groups. After this, then it shall be made known which groups were given which type of water.

First, thank you Accipiter for doing what I'm pretty much too lazy to do. I do enough research to make an argument, but I lose interest before I can follow up on anyone else's arguments... And while I considered my own plant experiment, I'd end up not keeping enough details for it to be worth anything.

Of course, any results of your experiment are strictly anecdotal...

But please keep me posted, because I really would like to know what happens.

Where are your results???

Well, after two and a half weeks, the results are: none of the seeds have germinated! Obviously, this means that water itself is toxic and kills plants. . .

I might try this test again with a different batch of seeds that I get from a different store, if I feel motivated enough.

Yeah, right, blame the water, or the seeds... You are a plant murderer!!!

Although, I suppose since they never germinated at all, it would be seed murderer.

You will notice I didn't offer to try this. That's because it takes all the green-ness I own to keep the 3 plants I already have alive.

Perhaps I shouldn't have tried growing the plants on a bed of 30000°C nuclear plasma. . .although had they germinated and grown, that would have resulted in some pretty cool mutant glow-in-the-dark plants!!!

This does all go to show, however, that you have to be careful when looking at other peoples' experiments. I could tell everybody that I performed an experiment, give a very brief description of what the experiment consisted of, and then say what my interpretation of the results is (such as "all water is toxic to plants and will stop them from germinating"). Without being given a more detailed description of the test and its results, it's hard to argue against the researcher's conclusions -- they don't give you anything to argue against. The only thing you can do is perform a test of your own.

All of these tests that "proved" that microwaved water is harmful are like that: they don't really tell you anything about the test, merely telling you that they wanted to prove that microwaved water was harmful, and that they then concluded that it was so.

I tried this same experiment at home for several weeks and both plants remained completely healthy.

There are so many different possibilities for why her plant died - I highly doubt it was due to the water being microwaved.