School Uniform To Block Cell Phone Emissions

http://neteffect.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/08/13/belarus_develops_school_uniform_that_makes_tin_foil_hates_obsolete

Belarus develops school uniform that makes tin foil hats obsolete
Thu, 08/13/2009 - 3:31pm
It's not often that my native country of Belarus scores points for cutting-edge science and innovation, but this announcement (only available in Russian) makes up for the gap. In short, a Belarusian textile company has developed a special school uniform that protects kids from... electromagnetic radiation emanating from their cellphones! The uniform features a dedicated pocket that can store the phone and make it safe for those who wear it.

Now, despite all the supposed absurdity of this approach, I wouldn't necessarily bet on this being a failure. Chances are some bureaucrats will actually like the idea (the news was actually delivered by a Ministry of Trade official). It seems to me that this would work if every single schoolchild wears the same uniform. Otherwise, what's the point of having this magic pocket, if your deskmate stores his gadgets in his pants pockets, exposing you to radiation anyway?

Their fashion sense notwithstanding, at least the Belarusians are not banning cellphones in schools. That's how Tajikistan, for example, decided to handle the cellphone problem (check out the original Reuters story:"Offenders, including those who carry phones without using them, will be fined")...So I take it that the introduction latest uniforms (undoubtedly inspired by the urban legends around tin foil hats) reveasl Belarusian government's ambivalence about technology: they know it's good, but they still need to be paternalistic about it :-)