What happens if you don't put your phone in airplane mode?
Transcript
Right now, invisible signals are flying through the air all around you.
Beyond the spectrum of light your eyes can see, massive radio waves as wide as houses carry information between computers, GPS systems, cell phones, and more.
In fact, the signal your phone broadcasts is so strong, if your eyes could see radio waves, your phone would be visible from Jupiter.
At least your special eyes would be able to see this if the sky wasn’t flooded with interference from routers, satellites, and, of course, people flying who haven’t put their phones on airplane mode.
You see, this setting isn’t to protect your flight, it’s to protect everyone else in your flight path.
Cell phones connect to networks by emitting information in the form of electromagnetic waves; specifically, radio waves, which occupy this band of the electromagnetic spectrum.
These radio waves come in a range of wavelengths, and let’s imagine your special eyes see the various wavelengths as different colors.
When you make a call, your phone generates a radio wave signal which it throws to the nearest cell tower.
If you’re far from service, your phone will expend more battery power to send a higher amplitude signal in an effort to make a connection.
Once connected, this signal is relayed between cell towers all the way to your call’s recipient.
Since your call isn’t the only signal out here, cell towers managing the calls assign each phones involved their own wavelength.
This specific color ensures you’re not picking up other people’s calls.
It’s even slightly different from the wavelength your phone is receiving information on, so as not to interfere with that incoming signal.
But there are only so many colors to choose from.
And since the advent of Wi-Fi, the demand for ownership of these wavelengths has increased dramatically.
With all these signals in the air and a limited number of colors to assign, avoiding interference is increasingly difficult.
Especially when cell towers receive too many signals at once, such as during regional emergencies, when everyone’s trying to use their phones.
But other sources of interference are more preventable, like phones searching for signals from thousands of meters in the sky.
Phones on planes are very far from cell towers, so they work overtime to send the loudest signals they can in search of service.
But since planes travel so quickly, the phones might find themselves much closer to a cell tower than expected— blasting it with a massive signal that drowns out those on the ground.
So when you fly without using airplane mode, you’re essentially acting as a military radio jammer— sending out giant radio waves that interfere with nearby signals.
Even on the ground, almost all our electronics emit rogue radio waves, slowing down our internet and making our calls choppy.
This leads consumers to pay for more bandwidth, pushing service providers to take over more of the radio spectrum, and eventually, send more satellites into the sky— creating a vicious cycle that could eventually blot out the stars.
Though, even without these satellites, this system is threatening our relationship with the cosmos.
Radio telescopes used for astronomy rely on a specific band of wavelengths to see deep into space.
However, while this range is supposedly protected, the cutoffs aren’t enforced.
For example, the Very Large Array can see signals throughout our solar system from 1 to 50 GHz.
But if it tries looking for signals below 5 GHz, its search could be drowned out by a sea of phones on 5G networks.
Today, nowhere on Earth is truly radio quiet.
Satellites relaying signals around the globe have blanketed the planet in radio waves.
But there are a few places with less crowded skies, where radio telescopes can look deep into space.
Here, we can see the black hole at the center of the Milky Way, and uncover the secrets of galaxies up to 96 billion light years away.
Well, so long as we’re not blinded by phones sending signals from first class.
Vocabulary List
invisible
(adjective): cannot be seen
spectrum
(noun): the range of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation
massive
(adjective): very large in size or extent
flood
(verb): to cover with a large amount something
interference
(noun): the disturbance of one wave by another
emit
(verb): to send out something (light, heat, wave etc.)
occupy
(verb): to take up space or time
band
(noun): a range of frequencies of electromagnetic radiation
expend
(verb): to use up something, especially money or energy
amplitude
(noun): the maximum distance from the mean position of a wave to its peak
incoming
(adjective): moving towards a place
advent
(noun): the arrival of something important or significant
dramatically
(adverb): in a very noticeable or striking way
assign
(verb): to give something to someone as a task or duty
jammer
(noun): a device that produces radio waves that interfere with the reception of other radio waves
rogue
(adjective): behaving in a way that is not expected or usual
choppy
(adjective): not connected smoothly
vicious cycle
(noun): a situation in which something bad leads to something else bad, which in turn leads to more of the first bad thing
blot out
(verb): to cover completely so that nothing can be seen
cosmos
(noun): the universe
supposedly
(adverb): according to what is said, but not necessarily true
cutoff
(noun): a point at which something stops or is no longer available
enforce
(verb): to make something happen by using force or authority
drown out
(verb): to make a sound so loud that it is impossible to hear anything else
blanket
(verb): to cover completely
Grammar Point
In this video, we are going to identify nouns that are both countable and uncountable.
air
Right now, invisible signals are flying through the air all around you.
“Air” is uncountable and does not have a plural form when it means:
– the mixture of gases that surrounds the earth and that we breathe
Let’s go out for some fresh air.
– the space above the ground or that is around things
Music filled the night air.
– the space above the earth where planes fly
We watched as the helicopter took to the air.
“Air” is countable and always used in a plural form “airs” when it means:
– a way of behaving that shows that somebody thinks that they are more important, etc. than they really are
I hate the way she puts on airs.
light
Beyond the spectrum of light your eyes can see, massive radio waves as wide as houses carry information between computers, GPS systems, cell phones, and more.
“Light” is uncountable and does not have a plural form when it means:
– the energy from the sun, a lamp, etc. that makes it possible to see things
Nothing can travel faster than the speed of light.
– light colors in a picture, which contrast with darker ones
Examine the artist’s use of light and shade.
“Light” is countable when it means:
– a particular type of light with its own colour or qualities (usually singular)
A cold, grey light crept under the curtains.
– a thing that produces light, especially an electric light
It was an hour before the lights came on again.
space
Radio telescopes used for astronomy rely on a specific band of wavelengths to see deep into space.
“Space” is uncountable and does not have a plural form when it means:
– the area outside the earth’s atmosphere where all the other planets and stars are
That was the year China sent its first astronaut into space.
– an amount of an area or of a place that is empty or that is available for use
We have 50 000 square metres of floor space.
– the quality of being large and empty, allowing you to move freely
The open plan creates a sense of space.
– the freedom and the time to think or do what you want to
She was upset and needed space.
“Space” is countable when it means:
– a particular area or a place that is empty
I’ll clear a space for your books.
– a large area of land that has no buildings on it
The inner residential areas don’t have many green spaces.
– a period of time
They had achieved a lot in a short space of time.
– the part of a line, page or document that is empty
Fill in the blank spaces in the table.
Common Expressions
you see
You see, this setting isn’t to protect your flight, it’s to protect everyone else in your flight path.
The meaning of “you see” depends on the context in which it is used. Here are some possible meanings:
– To encourage someone to listen and understand what you are saying. For example, “You see, I’m trying to explain something here.”
– To indicate that you are about to explain something. For example, “You see, there are two ways to do this.”
– To emphasize a point. For example, “You see, this is why it’s important to be careful.”
so as not to
It’s even slightly different from the wavelength your phone is receiving information on, so as not to interfere with that incoming signal.
The phrase “so as not to” means “in order not to” or “with the intention of avoiding.” It is used to express the purpose of an action or the reason for doing something. For example, you might say “I spoke quietly so as not to wake the baby.” or “I avoided eye contact with him so as not to anger him.”
The phrase “so as not to” is often used in formal writing, but it can also be used in everyday speech. It is a helpful way to make your intentions clear and to avoid any misunderstandings.
so long as
Well, so long as we’re not blinded by phones sending signals from first class.
The phrase “so long as” can be used as a conditional phrase, meaning “provided that” or “on the condition that.” For example, you might say “I can go out tonight so long as I’m home by midnight.” or “You can borrow my car so long as you drive carefully.”