I had an odd experience this morning...

[Archae]

I have a relative, (fortunately not a close one,) who is somewhat of a hypochondriac, and as a result none of my other relatives want to be around her.

Anyway, Karen, (not her real name,) saw me take a cell phone out of my backpack, and she stormed over to me and DEMANDED quite loudly that I shut it off, since the radio emissions "were making her feel sick."

I noticed then that I had not switched the cell phone on, and I pointed this out to Karen.

She tells me that she heard on the radio that cell phones still broadcast at high power even if they are shut off.

I told her to go to hell, and walked away.
It's the only way to deal with Karen.

I looked up this "electromagnetic sensitivity" and according to science, it simply does not exist.

It can be really hard to deal with a relative who has a crackpot belief, that he or she will not give up no matter what.

[Tetrachloride]

1. Your original post has a wide variety of topics

I suggest narrowing the topic.

[Archae]

4. I did, narrowed it to Karen's imaginary ailment.

[progressoid]

2. My best friend's sister is that kind of nutter.

Last time I saw her she was going on about Mel's Hole.

[Archae]

3. From Art Bell's radio show?

[progressoid]

7. Yep. What's worse is that she's a professor.

It's at a small christian college in Texas so...

[Archae]

8. What do they say lately about that hole?

It was rather silly.

Didn't "Mel" dump a washing machine down the hole?

[3catwoman3]

15. A professor of what?

Or don’t we want to know. Hopefully not one of the sciences.

[progressoid]

16. Wait for it....

Mental health / therapy.

[LakeArenal]

5. I recently met someone who won't see a doctor

She has “my crystals and stones. I also grow therapeutic plants in my garden.”
I don’t have any insurance. I’m fine.”

[Farmer-Rick]

6. Exposure to Round Up has been proven by Science to be dangerous to your health

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/business/2019/feb/14/weed-killing-products-increase-cancer-risk-of-cancer
The above link identifies a risk for cancer.

https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-015-0056-1
This link identifies a link to kidney and liver disease.

I would be very careful about my exposure to Round Up. I don't allow it on my farm. My uncle died of kidney disease and he had been farming with Round Up for years....yes not scientific but I'm not taking any chances.

Be safe.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

9. There have been some studies indicating that exposure to Round-Up

might cause illnesses in agricultural workers who are exposed to large amounts of it (and there have been a couple of successful lawsuits by farm workers), but so far there's been no conclusive evidence that it's hazardous to people who use small amounts to kill weeds in gardens (I got this info from a university lecturer who discussed recent reputable, peer-reviewed studies). That said, I won't use it in my garden anyhow because of possible environmental effects - there are increasing concerns about high concentrations of it in soil, groundwater, and precipitation, and the possible effects that might have on small organisms—particularly those living in soil. Also, some recent research has found that some weeds may be developing resistance to it. That means that farmers need to use more of it, or resort to other chemicals that are even more dangerous. Whether or not it's dangerous for ordinary garden use, I avoid the stuff and tolerate the weeds.

[Farmer-Rick]

17. This "conflicting" scientific studies is questionable

Who wins out by muddying the water about health affects? Much like the tobacco corporations, the Round Up corporations can continue to sell their deadly products while everyone scrambles to identify the bad science from the sound science.....this can take decades as the corporate owners of the weed killer use the justice system as a tool to block and outright ban further research.

But that is not definitive proof. Yet considering the lawsuits that have won and the deaths from sudden unexplained kidney failure, I'm erring on the side of caution.

Glad to hear you are being cautious too.

[smirkymonkey]

10. What about the "radio emissions" coming from the radio?

Do those make her feel sick too?

Sounds like a total nut case.

[Archae]

11. Oh yeah. It's only cell phone broadcasts that make her "sick."

I saw her using WiFi, on her iPad.

There are just too many out there making up wild theories like this.

[Midnight Writer]

12. Keep her away from windmills.

[OnDoutside]

13. If you're over 30, feck'em, and walk away...life is too short for such

...ahem, negative waves....

[JonLP24]

14. She may need help

She could have a psychiatric illness.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

18. That lady should learn some good manners first.....

and then some facts from science.............