Scientist argues infectious diseases have emerged with increase in electricity use

The Spanish flu in 1918, the influenza pandemic in 1957, and the Hong Kong flu in 1968… A scientist and journalist claims in his book that such infectious diseases have been affected by disturbances in the electromagnetic field caused by the excessive use of electromagnetic waves. The writer had to leave the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine due to overexposure to X-ray. He believes that rapid increases in cardiac diseases, diabetes, and cancer are not unrelated to the use of electricity. The writer supports such an unexpected and rather odd argument with a number of research results and cases.

The U.S. built over 50 high-power transmitters in its own territory as well as its colonies in 1917 while the U.S. Navy built over 10,000 transmitters on its fleet. In 1918, high-performance transmission facilities were installed in the states of New York and Maryland. The Spanish flu that killed tens of millions of people might have first emerged in the U.S. in the same year before having been spread globally by the U.S. Navy’s vessels, the writer suspects.

In 1996 when tens of thousands of repeater towers for the mobile phone were built in the U.S., heart attacks among athletes increased by twofold. The writer suggests research results to explain that the electromagnetic field diminishes the activity of mitochondria that produces energy, which leads to a slower speed of cells breaking down glucose, fat, and protein.

A direct link between electromagnetic waves and diseases has not been confirmed clearly, but it seems to be a valid argument according to numerous cases. “It is necessary to understand the impact from facilities emitting electromagnetic waves and come up with measures to minimize damage,” said Park Seok-soon, the translator of the book and a professor of the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering at Ewha Womans University.


Hyo-Lim Son aryssong@donga.com