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Eyes on 6G safety as Chinese scientists find terahertz radiation boosts brain cell growth in mice
- Discovery can help assess new communication technology and also develop therapies to treat brain diseases, Beijing researchers say
- Separate study by team from Xian Jiaotong University finds terahertz radiation can make young mice ‘smarter’ but same effect not found in old mice
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Scientists who observed the accelerated growth of mouse neurons after the rodents were exposed to brief, low-dose radiation from terahertz waves say their findings have implications for future communication devices.
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Radio waves in the terahertz band can boost a smartphone’s bandwidth to 1 terabit per second (Tbps). It is a hot candidate for next-generation communication technology, or 6G.
After a three-minute exposure to 100-microwatt pulse radiation with wide frequencies ranging from 0.3 to 3 terahertz, the mouse neurons grow nearly 150 per cent faster than normal in a Petri dish, according to the researchers.
The total length of connections between these neurons also doubled in just three days.
Despite the superfast growth compared with a control, molecular analysis suggested the exposed brain cells remained healthy, according to the scientists.
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