The group Americans for Responsible Technology declares 5G to be unsafe. This fringe anti-technology movement is gaining momentum, thanks to activists, their accomplices in the media, and Russian propaganda outlets like RT.
Everyone I know likes to think of himself or herself as pro-science and open-minded. I don't think I've ever heard anyone proudly claim to be anti-science and closed-minded. Yet, we continue to debate vaccines, GMOs, and nuclear power long after scientific research has shown them all to be safe and effective.
With all these brilliant freethinkers walking about, how can this be?
Unfortunately, the sad reality in our Age of Information is that most people -- and I really do mean the vast majority of people -- aren't deep thinkers. Instead, they go along with whatever the members of their "tribe" believe to be true. It's for this reason that once you know a person's political belief on topic A and B, you can usually predict what their opinions are on C, D, E, F, and G.
Psychology shows us that, even in the face of overwhelming evidence, some people remain impervious to facts and logic, choosing to double down on their false belief. People are particularly stubborn once they become emotionally invested in an issue. It often takes years to change a person's mind on any given topic, if it can be done at all.
Perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that one of the criticisms I get is that my writing isn't persuasive. Occasionally, it isn't meant to be. The people I'm criticizing -- such as anti-vaxxers and anti-GMOrons -- are incapable of being persuaded. That's why the only solution is ridicule, the ultimate goal of which is defeat. In these cases, my goal isn't to convince; it's to obliterate.
'Americans for Responsible Technology' Are Anti-5G Activists
That's precisely the goal with anti-5G zealotry. I've tried the reasoning thing before. It doesn't work. But for those of you who are interested, very basic scientific reasoning explains why 5G isn't dangerous:
- The energy of the photons and the total amount of energy associated with 5G do not cause biological harm.
- If it was really true that 5G is dangerous, then other technologies like AM/FM radios, GPS, remote-controlled toys, and garage door openers would also be dangerous.
- The claim that 5G is dangerous fails to satisfy Hill's Criteria of Causality, most notably violating the requirement for biological plausibility.
And then here's an alternative viewpoint:
While other anti-5G activists aren't quite that insane, they still hold beliefs that are flat-out kooky. The group "Americans for Responsible Technology," for instance, just sent a letter to the FCC claiming that 5G radiation is damaging to human health. The organization put out a press release, bragging that it found "400 medical and public health professionals" to sign it.
Wow. You could also find medical professionals who would prescribe hydroxychloroquine for coronavirus, even though it absolutely does not work. This is why we practice evidence-based medicine, not eminence-based medicine. A signed letter means absolutely nothing.
Far worse, anti-5G activists have willing accomplices in the media -- like conspiracy theorist Paul Thacker and his new collaborator, Dutch journalist Jannes van Roermund -- who gleefully defame and smear scientists who speak out publicly (such as yours truly). Their goal is not to engage in debate. Instead, it is to toss around ad hominem attacks, accusing technology supporters of being industry shills.
Anti-5G Activists Are Puppets for Putin
Who else is in favor of spreading anti-5G disinformation? Our good friends, the Russians, who learned how to weaponize postmodernism. Mike Elgan writes in Computer World that while Russia is feverishly building out its own 5G technology, it is simultaneously fomenting anti-5G disinformation in the United States as a way to damage our economy. That's why RT -- the pro-Kremlin propaganda network -- is telling people that 5G causes "brain cancer, infertility, autism, heart tumors and Alzheimer’s disease," according to Mr. Elgan.
Like anti-GMO activists, anti-5G activists and their media collaborators aren't just scientifically illiterate. They're also puppets for Putin.
