I have always liked to think of myself as rational and level-headed, but I am beginning to think I should be joining the tin-foil helmet brigade as I am starting to have suspicions that something with no confirmed scientific explanation is actually happening.

I was helping some people set up a wireless network last week. I keep getting roped in to help neighbours, relatives and organisations on an unpaid basis because I once worked for a computer company.

For technical reasons I had to use their laptop to set up the router. The problem was that the laptop just would not work properly. The cursor would stick to the top of the screen and refuse to respond to either the trackpad or the control nipple. I was going to try an external USB mouse when it started responding. After a bit of work it started to play up again and I was getting more than a little worked up by this.

At this point I started to realise that the problem only occurred when a certain person in the office was near me. When he was over the other side of the room everything was a lot better. He is only a part-time volunteer and had to go home, which is when everything proceeded to work properly, but before that I kept observing and there was indeed a strong correlation between his proximity and the function of the cursor.

I asked him if he had a mobile phone, but he said he didn’t.

Today I got a call saying that the Internet connection was gone. I checked it out and everything was fine with the network. The PCs could see and talk to the router, the router had a light on indicating an ADSL connection, I could get into the router as an admin and it all checked out. I asked when it stopped and was told that the last person to use it was Mr Magneto, who was using the Internet at the desk where the router is located.

Everything was fine after the router was power-cycled, but I can’t help wondering if the office volunteer is having an effect on all their equipment. I am also a little concerned in case it is affecting him. I know he is epileptic and has been having more fits lately. Is that connected? And if so, which is the cause and which the effect?

Having an epileptic son I know that I ought not to quiz him too much and cause him any stress, which is why I just asked casually about the mobile phone. I would like to have asked him about any other electrical equipment he might have on him. Maybe he has an iPod with a dodgy connection in it or something, but I don’t think so.

Its difficult as the young chap is getting valuable experience by volunteering and it is helping his personal development so I would not recommend they stop using him just on a suspicion of an EMF effect. On the other hand you have to worry if there is any sort of health effect on him. I took the coward’s way out and advised that they talk to the volunteer agency so they can evaluate any risk.

I tried to look this up on the Internet but found that the only people investigating this sort of phenomena are also looking at UFOs, crop circles, ships being sunk by methane bubbles, reincarnation and similar topics – like street light interference (SLI) where some people have street lights dim or go out when they walk under them.

At the moment I am taking the view that one incident can be fluke and two can be coincidence, but if there is a third I will order the tin-foil helmet and plumb the depths of The Society for Scientific Exploration website, enrol at the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research facility and take out a subscription to the Fortean Times.