The Magnetic Resonance Myth of Radio Waves

A strange notion exists that nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) uses radio waves for both excitation of a sample and for the reception of signal. Where this idea originated is difficult to say, for it cannot be found in any of the basic, long-established texts. However, its acceptance within, at least, the medical imaging community is now nearly universal, and attempting to combat the weight of several books that contain this error is a depressing matter, for one is often greeted with ill-masked skepticism. Why then should one bother? On the one hand, there is the academic's annoyance at the perpetration of a falsehood, and with it, the instilled belief that a faulty building block can eventually cause the learned tower to tumble. On the other hand, there is the knowledge that the NMR frequency range is sandwiched between those of electric power lines and microwaves, both of which have been accused of being health hazards. Guilt by false association with electric fields thus lurks in the wings.