Technical Experiments- is a human a guinea pig?

3 years ago

Technology, this word has changed the world and the living life on earth. Remember the movie ‘Captain America’? The hero : Steve Rogers, was a timid guy. Well here's a spoiler, he underwent an experiment of technology and chemicals, to become stronger and that's how ‘THE CAPTAIN AMERICA’ was born. The experiments of technology on humans are not only limited to the reel world, the real world also has some awesome experiments. Let’s take a look.

Technology has undoubtedly played a very important role in the medical field. One of the best experiments among a few, I will say is the ‘pacemaker’.


Pacemaker:

This device is used for treating ‘arrhythmias’, these are the problems with the rate or rhythm of heartbeat. During the arrhythmias, the heart rate can be too fast or too slow. In the course of arrhythmias, the heart may not be able to pump, unable to send blood to all parts of the body. This can have symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath or even in severe cases can damage the body's vital organs and at times may also lead to death.

But the important question is how is it so useful: Our hearts have their own internal electric system, which controls the rhythm and rate of heartbeat. With every heartbeat, an electrical signal spreads from the head to the tip of your toes and this signal causes the heart to pump and contract. Yes, the way our body is made, one has to admit god is an awesome engineer, doctor and has used knowledge beyond human imagination. Arrhythmias is caused because of faulty electrical signals in the heart. Now, that's when pacemaker comes into picture, it uses low-energy electric pulses to overcome the faulty signaling. 

What pacemaker can do:

  • Can speed up slow heart rhythm
  • Controls fast or abnormal heart rhythm
  • Prevents dangerous arrhythmias, and many more

New pacemakers can also monitor one's blood temperature, breathing rate along with the heart's electrical activity. Pacemakers can either be permanent or temporary. The temporary ones are used for short term heart problems like slow heartbeat. While permanent ones are used to control long-term heart rhythm problems. In this way, technological experiments on humans have helped some people live longer lives.

Well, let’s broaden the horizon and switch over to something altogether different than pace-maker, where technology and humans go hand-in-hand.  


Technology took humans to space in the 70’s. But the space expeditions began much before that. We have been learning about space, the milky way, moon, mars and many other space related knowledge since we were in school. ‘Neil Armstrong’ the first ever person to step on the moon, is so inspiring and awesome right? Nowadays, technology is so advanced that soon space will become a dream travel destination. The company that is making news every now and then in “Space” space is ‘Space X’. It may make this dream come true. But, did anyone think, after living in 0 gravity area for so many days/ months didn’t their body react in a certain way after returning to earth?


Effect of 0 gravity on humans: Astronauts suffer from visual disturbance, damage to the heart muscle, bone loss and balance problems. Studies on these people who were in space station shows, some effects are long-term while few are temporary. One of the most common problems is, ‘space adaptation syndrome’, which is caused due to huge exposure to weightlessness. But the major and a long term effect is the loss of muscle and bone mass. The back and leg muscles begin to shrink and become weak, as because of absence of gravity there is no weight load. The construction and destruction process of bones also changes when one is in space. When on earth, bones are destroyed and renewed regularly, well this is more of a biological knowledge, but let's focus on what kind of problems these astronauts face when returning to earth. According to a study, if a mice is kept in a 0 gravity area, there is an increase in the number of bone destroyer cells and also the number of bone building cells decreases. Astronauts show an increase in bone destroyer cell activity. So this one technical experiment of sending humans to 0 gravity area for study, is definitely helpful in astronomical areas but not good for their health.


Like many happening fields, technological experiments on humans are on the rise. As each coin has 2 sides, this area is not an exception. Technological experiments have good and bad effects on humans. Technology is playing a vital role in successful organ transplants and giving re-birth. On other hand, “cloning” is a step against nature. Some common sense should prevail otherwise the way enormous atomic power used for destruction in WWII, technology may follow the same footsteps.