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From: marc@cpsc.ucalgary.ca (Marc Schroeder)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Power Lines Affect Computers??
Message-ID: <2196@cs-spool.calgary.UUCP>
Date: 4 Dec 89 16:01:44 GMT
References: <1989Nov25.213858.4811@mccc.uucp>
Sender: news@calgary.UUCP
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Organization: U. of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Lines: 40


In article <1989Nov25.213858.4811@mccc.uucp> root@mccc.uucp (Pete Holsberg) writes:
>I'm looking at a house that has power lines running at the rear edge of
>the property and I'm wondering if radiation of any kind from those lines
>might affect my computer, disks, whatever.  None of the people who live
>there now have 11 fingers or 3 eyes or even one computer.  Does anyone
>have any knowledge about the relative safety/danger of that environment
>to people and electronic devices?
>
>Thanks.
>
>-- 
>Pete Holsberg                UUCP: {...!rutgers!}princeton!mccc!pjh
>Mercer College               CompuServe: 70240,334
>1200 Old Trenton Road        GEnie: PJHOLSBERG
>Trenton, NJ 08690            Voice: 1-609-586-4800


I've heard people asking this same question before (ie. do high voltage
lines threaten health). I doubt it. The current flowing through the line
is a.c., yes, and that means there's a constantly changing electric field.
As you know, this means that the lines are giving off electromagnetic
radiation. HOWEVER, in North America a.c. only alternates at 120 Hz. This
means that the radiation being emitted is only 120 Hz. That is extremely
LOW, and is probably not a threat to anyone. Mutations due to exposure to
radiation are usually only found with much higher frequencies (ie. long
term exposure to UV light, gamma radiation, etc..).

I'd also guess that power lines can't harm your computer.

 
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 Marc A. Schroeder      * 1st year computer science
                          University of Calgary