Wi-Fi laptops may damage sperm!

Animavore · #1 by **Animavore** » Dec 01, 2011 6:03 pm

http://uk.health.lifestyle.yahoo.net/wi ... -sperm.htm

Using a laptop connected to the internet via Wi-Fi can potentially damage sperm, a study suggests.

Sperm samples placed beneath a laptop with a wireless internet connection for just four hours were found to have reduced motility and more DNA damage compared with other samples stored under the same conditions but away from the laptop.

The study, published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, collected sperm samples from 29 healthy men, aged 26 to 45. Each of the samples were then separated into two pots.

One set of samples was placed beneath a laptop connected to the internet via Wi-Fi as it downloaded information, while the other set was stored under identical conditions - including temperature - but away from the computer.[cont.]

HughMcB · #2 by **HughMcB** » Dec 01, 2011 6:05 pm

Heard this a while back, that's why it is recommended to use one of those heat dissipating tray things.

Animavore · #3 by **Animavore** » Dec 01, 2011 6:06 pm

What, what?

natselrox · #4 by **natselrox** » Dec 01, 2011 6:13 pm

As Ben Goldacre, Ed Yong tweeted, "RT @edyong209 RT @scicurious "if you're concerned about fertility, you should put the sperm directly in your partner, not on your keypad"".

Animavore · #5 by **Animavore** » Dec 01, 2011 6:13 pm

quisquose · #6 by **quisquose** » Dec 01, 2011 6:50 pm

I've had a vasectomy. Should I stop using my laptop?

Animavore · #7 by **Animavore** » Dec 01, 2011 6:53 pm

quisquose wrote:I've had a vasectomy. Should I stop using my laptop?

Only if it's a Mac.

quisquose · #8 by **quisquose** » Dec 01, 2011 6:59 pm

Animavore wrote:
quisquose wrote:I've had a vasectomy. Should I stop using my laptop?

Only if it's a Mac.

No, it was done on the NHS.

HughMcB · #9 by **HughMcB** » Dec 01, 2011 7:02 pm

Animavore wrote:What, what?

Like this; http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3536

The cooler dissipates the heat from getting your laptop too hot whereas the shield protects your jubblies.

Also, I was under the impression that their names were consciously changed from "laptop" to "notebook" to discourage people from sitting them on their laps.

Scar · **#10** by **Scar** » Dec 01, 2011 7:09 pm

Ssssssssstrike! Gay nerds win!

quisquose · **#11** by **quisquose** » Dec 01, 2011 7:11 pm

HughMcB wrote:
Animavore wrote:What, what?

Like this; http://www.amazon.com/Xpad-Non-slip-Lap ... nskepti-20

The cooler dissipates the heat from getting your laptop too hot whereas the shield protects your jubblies.

Also, I was under the impression that their names were consciously changed from "laptop" to "notebook" to discourage people from sitting them on their laps.

But the article specifically mentions laptops connected to the internet, like the Wi-Fi is the important factor, rather than the already well established one of heat.

:scratch:

HughMcB · **#12** by **HughMcB** » Dec 01, 2011 7:17 pm

Oh, that's just weird then. My mistake.

PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn · **#13** by **PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn** » Dec 01, 2011 11:28 pm

well just wrap your bollocks in foil..... the metal will reflect the waves away from them.....

have to admit I wonder about the setup, I'd imagine any cells directly exposed to electromagnetic radiation would suffer, but the sperm is stored inside your testicles prior to ejaculation. so there would be some shielding effect I'd imagine

cant read the full paper http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0015028211026781 for any who might have access.

I note their conclusions however,

To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the direct impact of laptop use on human spermatozoa. Ex vivo exposure of human spermatozoa to a wireless internet-connected laptop decreased motility and induced DNA fragmentation by a nonthermal effect. We speculate that keeping a laptop connected wirelessly to the internet on the lap near the testes may result in decreased male fertility. Further in vitro and in vivo studies are needed to prove this contention.

though another study they had showed that mobile phones had effect on the "decreasing the sperm count, motility, viability, and normal morphology." http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0015028207003329

however mobile phones would be putting out a fair bit more radiation than that of wifi (several miles range vs 20m or so of wifi)

z8000783 · **#14** by **z8000783** » Dec 01, 2011 11:38 pm

The time to worry is when you see a message on your laptop screen from Microsoft saying it has detected a corruption and offering an urgent DNA update.

John

Varangian · **#15** by **Varangian** » Dec 02, 2011 12:05 am

z8000783 wrote:The time to worry is when you see a message on your laptop screen from Microsoft saying it has detected a corruption and offering an urgent DNA update.

...or a warning that you've downloaded a virus that might damage your hardware.

Mazille · **#16** by **Mazille** » Dec 02, 2011 12:11 am

Scar wrote:Ssssssssstrike! Gay nerds win!

Best. Comment. Today.