Ask Slashdot: Are Smart Meters Safe?

An anonymous reader writes "There is a lot of controversy and a big hullabaloo about Southern California Edison and various other utilities around the country installing smart meters at residential homes. Various action groups claim that these smart meters transmit an unsafe amount of RF and that they are an invasion of privacy. The information out there seems rather spotty and inconsistent — what do you engineers out there think? Are these things potentially harmful? Are they an invasion of privacy?"

Tinfoil hat! Get yer tinfoil hat on!

[John Hasler]

> Are these things potentially harmful?

They are every bit as dangerous as cellphones.

> Are they an invasion of privacy?

Of course. They are telling the power company how much electricity you are using. What business is that of theirs?

Re:Radiation hazard?

[Anonymous Coward]

Not only is there no evidence that these meters are harmful, but the effect of radio frequency exposure upon living tissue (approximatly none) is well-studied and understood. These radiophobes have about as much scientific respectability as the anti-vaxers, homeopaths and creationists. They are a parody of science.

Hey you asshole, VMS was a fine OS for its day, show some respect ;-)

Trespassing....

[szyzyg]

I remember reading one news story where a property owner was saying he considered anyone coming onto his property to be a violation of his rights and might shoot someone from the power company if they tried to install a smart meter. I wish I could have asked him how the power company reads his meter right now?

Stupidest person ever.

Re:Really ? Unsafe amount of RF ?

[robot256]

You'd think at some point they'd get tired of asking us...

They would, if they could remember the &#@* answer for more than 10 seconds.

California (say it like the kid in the wizard)

[Osgeld]

Problem with California is EVERY THING is unsafe, the should just deem it a waste land cause everything causes cancer in that state

http://team-fox.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/mcdonalds-warning-sign.jpg [team-fox.net]

The problem is the nature of the Digital Waves

[arthurpaliden]

Cell phone radio waves are used for carrying voice. This means that they are analog in nature and are therefore sine waves. Now sine waves are by their very nature are curved. This means they are easily able to flow over and around DNA and other molecular structures such as proteins. This is not the case for digital computer or in this case Smart Meter WiFi EM radiation. The data computer WiFi radiation carries is digital in nature and therefore only has two values 1 and 0. This means that it is transmitted as a square wave with a flat instead of a curved leading edge. As a result it is not able to easily flow over and around a cell's DNA but rather slams into it at several hundred thousand times a second. This is like a hammer hitting a string of pearls over and over and over. Eventually the pearls and the string will break.

Re:Radiation hazard?

[stevew]

Why would someone be against a Vax 780? I just don't understand the lunacy?

Re:Shielding

[ae1294]

The meter will develop a bad case of paranoia and a complete disdain for the government.

Re:Trespassing....

[HornWumpus]

That's Appalachian American you bigot.

Re:Really ? Unsafe amount of RF ?

[tool462]

There IS a strong correlation between fear of RF and brain damage. Just a disagreement on which way the causation arrow points ;)

Re:Privacy issue in Europe

[0xG]

I am shocked - shocked! about this. I'm going to post about it on my Facebook page, my Twitter account, and LinkedIn!