New research has revealed something alarming about 6G. Scientists at Xian Jiaotong University in China subjected mice to 6G terahertz radiation to see its effects on them. The results showed that their brain cells and neurons grew about 150 percent faster than normal.
Terahertz Waves
Terahertz radiation consists of electromagnetic waves with frequencies from 0.3 to 3THz (1THz = 1000GHz). Terahertz waves are currently being tested for 6G as they can enable transfer speeds of up to 1 Tbps, much faster than the millimeter waves used in 5G that top out at 20Gbps.
Currently, some terahertz devices are used as airport body scanners to produce a clear body image since they can penetrate through clothes.
Experiment
Scientists fired a 100-microwatt pulse on a mouse with a frequency of 0.3 to 3 terahertz for three minutes. The experiment showed that the brain cells and neurons of the mouse grew 150 percent faster in a Petri dish.
The molecular analysis showed that the brain cells remained healthy after the abnormally fast growth. Furthermore, researchers said that the neuron connections between the cells were doubled just in three days.
Outcomes of the Study
According to the researchers, this discovery will not only help in the development of new communication technology but also help in the treatment of brain diseases. Since the Earth’s atmosphere is a strong absorber of terahertz radiation therefore Li Xiaoli, the lead scientist of the study said:
The safety of terahertz radiation protocol is a top concern.
According to Li and his colleagues:
The negative health effects of future communication technology could be avoided by reducing the strength and duration of radiation exposure. Terahertz waves of certain frequencies and energies can be developed as a novel neuromodulation technology to treat or intervene in diseases such as neurodevelopmental disorders. Abnormal neuron development and the resulting abnormal neural network structure can lead to the occurrence of various psychiatric and neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, autism and Parkinson’s disease.
High Dose vs Low Dose
In a study at the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2009, researchers found the impacts of high doses of terahertz radiation. The strong terahertz radiation for several hours a day could increase the temperature in the brain cells. They can also affect the development of cells and cause dehydration which can reduce cell size and cause other forms of damage.
Li’s team suggested that a lower dose can increase the production of certain proteins that simulate neuron growth such as GluA1, GluN1, and SY-38. Proteins have a lot of hydrogen bonds vibrating constantly. With exposure to terahertz waves, the frequency of these vibrations falls down. Since the structure of proteins varies from each other therefore certain proteins respond to weak terahertz radiations. Researchers said that they need to study the changes happening in proteins at different intensities.
Li’s teams said in the paper:
Terahertz waves can directly couple with proteins and effectively cause them to resonate in a non-linear manner. This could affect the shape of the proteins, and therefore the structure and function of neurons.
Effect on Brain Cells of a Mouse
Professor Liu Jianxin with the Institute of Brain Science at Xian Jiaotong University found that the terahertz radiations can make young mice smarter. Contact with 90-milliwatt terahertz radiations for 20 minutes a day for three weeks increased the brain cells in young mice. This helped mice escape mazes faster to save its life.
The same experiment didn’t work on old mice. Researchers said that the reasons behind these outcomes are not clear yet.