From pagers to phones: Understanding risks and myths of exploding electronics

The Atlantic's recent article delves into the alarming series of explosions involving pagers and walkie-talkies that occurred in Lebanon and Syria, causing significant casualties and injuries. The piece explores the implications of these attacks on global perceptions of electronic device safety and the reality of such threats.

The article describes how pagers used by Hezbollah operatives exploded simultaneously in both countries, resulting in at least a dozen deaths and thousands of injuries. A second wave of explosions, this time involving walkie-talkies, occurred in Lebanon. According to an expert cited by the Associated Press, the pagers were rigged to explode after receiving a message that caused them to vibrate. The need for users to press buttons to stop the vibration ultimately triggered the explosions. This situation led to fears so severe that, at a funeral in Beirut, a loudspeaker urged attendees to turn off their phones, highlighting the pervasive anxiety about potential explosive devices hidden in ordinary gadgets.

The Atlantic's analysis underscores that while these recent incidents have heightened fears about the safety of personal electronics, such concerns are largely exaggerated. The article reassures readers that the probability of consumer devices like smartphones or tablets being intentionally rigged to explode is extremely low. The complexity and scale required to modify large quantities of devices with explosives make such scenarios highly improbable. Instead, the risk primarily involves devices being compromised for surveillance purposes rather than causing physical harm.

The piece also addresses misconceptions about lithium-ion batteries, which some speculated might be responsible for the explosions. While these batteries can pose fire risks under certain conditions, the severity and precision of the recent detonations suggest a different mechanism, involving explosive materials like pentaerythritol tetranitrate or hexogen. The Atlantic clarifies that the risk of battery-related fires or explosions is generally confined to poorly manufactured devices, such as inexpensive vape pens or e-bikes.

Moreover, The Atlantic points out that while the attacks have introduced a new level of fear, this anxiety is mostly psychological rather than based on widespread risks. The idea that everyday devices could be bombs is more about the impact of the attacks on public perception than an actual increase in device-based explosives. The article concludes that while the threat of device-based terrorism is real, it remains a rare occurrence rather than a common danger.