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Was the information in the (July 7) Mail Tribune article about old dynamite accurate when it stated that the use of a cell phone could set off the dynamite? If so, please explain the physics of this. — Jerry H. Jacksonville Digging into our archives, the rocket scientists at Since You Asked note you are referencing a story in which Medford police evacuated several homes on Glairgeau Circle earlier this month so that explosive experts could safely remove 56 half-pound sticks of old dynamite that had been found in the woods and hauled into town. Jackson County sheriff's Detective Sgt. Colin Fagan offered this warning to anyone who is (un)lucky enough to find an explosive device of any sort: Mark the location carefully, back away slowly and call the authorities as soon as possible. "But don't use your cell phone in the vicinity. That could set it off," Fagan said. Aha! The quote! Now the answer to the question. Fagan's comment about cell-phone dangers was not related to this particular box of aged dynamite. Rather, it was all about the inherent dangers of mixing cell phones and blasting caps, he said. Technicians assume that where there is dynamite, there also is a high degree of probability that there will be blasting caps. The caps are electronically wired, and can be sensitive to radio-frequency energy, Fagan said. Bomb technicians warn that all cell phones, radios or anything that operates on such frequencies should be kept at least 300 feet from explosive devices, he said. Blasting caps or not, the aged dynamite itself was dangerous. Dynamite degrades as it ages, which makes it increasingly unstable. Decaying dynamite tends to crystallize. And those crystals are what make it unstable. Anything that jars, jolts or expands the semi-liquid gel encased in a cardboard tube can cause detonation, Fagan said. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected]. We're sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them.