It's 2012 and The Federal Aviation Administration still doesn't allow electronic devices to be used during takeoff and landing. Of course, phones — the F.A.A.'s worst nightmare ever, aren't allowed to be used even when you're at the gate and your plane's not moving. Just ask Alec Baldwin about that. This is the dumbest rule ever.
The F.A.A. and some superstitious captains still think that a text message or a Kindle will take down an transatlantic flight. But as The New York Times' Nick Bilton points out today, there's just no scientific proof that anything bad like that would actually happen.. Bilton is rightfully really pissed. He just wants to read some goddamn Michael Chabon on his Kindle, you idiots.
Bilton points to two significant scientific studies to show how stupid the F.A.A. and these spooked pilots are. One was done by EMT labs, an independent company in California, and they said that there was "no difference in radio output between two iPads and 200." This proves that if a whole plane is plugged into their devices, there won't be an electromagnetic death cloud forming anywhere on board.
NASA recently released an annual report that said that no cases involving electronic devices on plans have ever "produced scientific evidence that a device can harm a plane's operation." Boom.
The F.A.A. is still standing by the fact that you're supposed to be super attentive during takeoff which is so insane. If the plane is going down, there's no way that you'd want to be sitting in your seat focusing on your imminent demise. Let's face it, you'd rather be beating that one last frustrating level of Angry Birds.
President Obama, please do us all a favor and appoint Nick Bilton to be the executive of the F.A.A. in 2013.
The New York Times [Image via Pressmaster/Shutterstock]