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Surprising Science

Cell Phones on Airplanes

A study by the Electromagnetic Compatibility Society finds that: “There is no definitive instance of an air accident known to have been caused by a passenger’s use of an electronic device.”

“With more than 28,000 commercial flights in the skies over the United States every day, there are probably few sentences in the English language that are spoken more often and insistently than this: ‘Please turn off all electronic devices.’ Asking why passengers must turn off their mobile phones on airplanes seems like an odd question. Because! With a sentence said so often there simply must be a reason for it. Or—is there not? … With people losing their freedom over the rule, it may come as a bit of a surprise that scientific studies have never actually proven a serious risk associated with the use of mobile phones on airplanes.”


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