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Never Mind the Bullocks Here's the Science
- available now

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More fun facts with Dr Karl

Dr Karl has taken on Santa Claus, atom bombs, 'friendly' dolphins and 'killer' whales, meteors, black holes, string theory and camel's humps. In his 27 mega-selling books, he demolishes myths, tells readers how to spot bogus science and advises readers to be wise, sceptical and to always challenge authority. In his 28th book he continues his crusade to keep the world a rational place by answering vital questions like 'Are white cats deaf?' and 'Will lemon juice make you slimmer?'

Dr Karl Kruszelnicki is the Julius Sumner Miller Fellow at the University of Sydney. He is also a bestselling author and a popular science commentator on radio and television. He appears on Triple J and other ABC radio stations, and on BBC radio, and is one half of the 'Sleek Geeks' (ABC TV).

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Mobile Phones and Petrol Stations - Fuelling the Rumours

Mobilie phones provide us with a really good example of just how irrational we human beings can be.

These phones are blamed for all kinds of health problems, ranging from brain cancer to memory loss. There's not a lot of real evidence for this - and it certainly doesn't stop people from using their phones.

However, mobile phones are the cause of a lot of stupidity in the hands of pedestrians and motorists. It is well established that talking on a phone while driving makes you as incompetent a driver as if you were drunk. And that's just talking on the phone, using a hands-free set. The mere act of concentrating on the phone call makes you a less capable driver. Holding the phone makes you even less capable. In fact, in some states around the world it's illegal to use a hand-held phone when driving a car. But people will still do it.

Not surprisingly, given the little pictures displayed on petrol pumps, many people believe that mobile phones are dangerous to use while refuelling their car's petrol tank. Yet there's pretty much no evidence that using a mobile phone at a petrol station will set off a conflagration.

How much evidence? How about not even one case in the history of the human race, and that's taking into account every single petrol station that has ever been built, in every country of every continent! And yet people still believe this myth.

The Email

Every month or so, I get an earnest email warning me of the hazards of using my mobile phone on the forecourt of a petrol station. Almost every time, the email mentions the Shell Oil Company as its source, or has the Shell Oil Company in the 'sig' (signature) lines at the bottom of the email.

And almost every time, it quotes the same three incidents of petrol fires that occur while a mobile phone owner is refuelling the car.

The first incident has the mobile phone sitting innocently on the boot of the car, not far from the open petrol tank. The phone rings, generating an instant ball of fire.

The second episode has a person speaking on the phone while refuelling. Again, a conflagration ensues, leading to the person suffering very nasty facial burns.

In the third occurrence, the owner is refuelling when the phone in a pocket suddenly rings. Even before they answer the phone a fire somehow erupts, in this case causing unfortunate burns to the person's groin and thigh.

This email (about mobile phones causing petrol station fires) has been traced back to a hoax email that originated in Southeast Asia around 1999. In June 2002, it landed in the inbox of a Shell employee in Jamaica. He rebroadcast it, but with the Shell Company signature now added to the email. this accidental, non-approved signature gave the hoax more credibility.

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