Backyard office

So, the story goes, Percy Spencer was mucking about in a laboratory at Raytheon when he accidentally spilled a cup full of dried corn kernels he intended to heat up into popcorn on the stove. All of a sudden, the kernels all over the lab floor started to inexplicably pop into popcorn. Spencer had discovered commercially usable microwaves, which led to the invention of the microwave oven. But this wasn’t so much an “aha moment” as it was a “yikes! moment.”

Pictured above is my outdoor backyard office setup. Here’s my 13-inch, Mid 2011 MacBook Air encased in its Kensington locking case. The laptop is plugged into an outdoor socket behind the bench. And on the arm of the bench next to it is my “belly blanket,” a blanket intended to be placed on the computer user’s lap beneath the user’s laptop in order shield the user’s body from harmful microwave radiation. Part of the Body Armor line of products that help reduce or eliminate microwave radiation from nearby sources, I’m pictured below with belly blanket and laptop in action.

Clearly, we are all being zapped by microwaves and other types of electromagnetic radiation everywhere all the time. Radiation from nearby sources (cell phones, laptops, utility smart meters, etc) are the most problematic, but the microwave radiation that we call “wifi” is also an issue. An increasing number of people claim that they are suffering adverse health effects from exposure to wifi signals, and there is increasing research into the carcinogenic dangers involved in all microwave radiation. That said, this outdoor office setup of mine would not be possible without an extremely powerful Belkin 6000 Router. I can access the internet 300 feet from the router, through walls and floors, as I surf and type away in my backyard, enjoying a mild spring day.

These little guys kept me company as I worked. They’re hardly worried about exposure to electromagnetic radiation. I, in contrast, do worry about the potential for cancer and other health issues from the use of my cell phone, laptop and other electronic devices. We all die, sooner or later. Not only would I prefer it to be later, but I’d also like it to be quietly, painlessly, in my sleep. The thought of cooking my insides with the wifi microwaves from my cell phone or laptop, and dying a slow, painful, lingering death from radiation induced cancer is not at all pleasant.