Technology Impacts

Out of Africa comes the disturbing news of entire regions being toxified and polluted by the industry of recycling used computers. There are millions of discarded computers on this planet, and many of them are ending up in African villages as well as elsewhere, including China, India, Nigeria, the Philippines and Vietnam, replete with highly toxic chemicals and heavy metals.

Our modern technology is amazing, allowing for a vast global enlightenment on a scale never seen before. Just think about the wonders brought to us by our computers and the internet - ever see this video?

But, as is always the case with major human endeavors, the cost is great. The solution cannot be to become Luddites but to improve our technology, using less toxic substances wherever possible. In the meantime, children pay the price for our conveniences and comforts.

Used computers toxifying kids, polluting oceans.

A collaborative program is helping doctors track and treat the incidence of pneumonia in their patients by scanning NFC-based RFID tags on infants’ bracelets.

via Tracking System Benefits Pakistani Infants, Doctors - RFID Journal.

Software to synchronise the movement of a patient’s heart with a surgeon’s eye is being developed to help make cardiac operations far easier to perform.

The technology, which can “still” a beating heart, will allow doctors to operate robotically without the trauma of carrying out a bypass.

Health Minister Lord Ara Darzi of Denham, a keyhole surgery pioneer, is involved in the project, which will be ready for clinical use within 18 months.

Professor Darzi described the advance, which is being developed with a software scientist at Imperial College London, in a discussion on the future of surgery at The Times Cheltenham Science Festival yesterday evening (03.06.09). Read the rest of this entry »

Computer manufacturers must take responsibility for dealing with electronic waste to ensure toxic trash doesn’t fall into the wrong hands

Dell, the world’s second largest PC manufacturer, announced earlier this month that it is imposing a ban on the export of used equipment bearing its name to developing countries ? unless the equipment is in full working order and intended for legitimate use. Read the rest of this entry »