Is a Copper Sphere filled with Water an adequate representation of a biological organism?

In typical arrogance, early researchers on EMF bioeffects decided that they already knew enough about the issue to model a human body with a copper sphere filled with water. Does copper have any properties of human skin? Does water bear any resemblance to the complexities of human cellular metabolism? I don't think so.

Why could they get away with this approximation? Because at that time, it was believed that the only possible affect of Radio-Frequency Radiation on human tissue was the heating effect produced by high-power RF emissions, such as radar. This was a well-documented fact. There is also some data linking RF emissions to eye damage, also believed to be caused by "thermal effects." There are those who still subscribe to the "Thermal Effects Only" perspective.

Generally, the EMF Bioeffects camp is divided along this line; it is somewhat equivalent to technological heresy to believe that there could be any effects other than thermal, but the research is ongoing ... One side-effect of the Thermal Effects Only belief is that 60Hz powerline EMFs have no possible mechanism for affecting human tissue; there is simply not enough energy there to do anything. This of course flies in the face of apparently sound, current epidemiological evidence.

There is still research being done that uses similarly non-biological representations of human tissue. How anyone can guarantee that they have proved no harm can come to a biological organism after studying inert material, is beyond me ... "Yes, microwaves are completely safe, as long as you are a copper sphere filled with water ..."