Part I Science in your Personal and Professional Life
List four Technologies/ Discuss Any Negative Impacts
We use many technologies throughout the day and night that make modern life possible. Some of these technologies include mobile phones, television sets, refrigerators, and computers. According to Mukhar (2013), mobile phones have become very useful in modern society. However, they also impact the society negatively in many ways. For instance, they cause sleep loss. Most people keep their phones nearby their beds feeling pressurized to be reachable at any time. Such situations cause sleep deprivation. Research reveals electromagnetic radiations emitted by cell phones cause cancer. (Smartphones are destroying the environment through heavy carbon emissions in their chain of production.
In his works, Sutton (2013) reveals that despite the many advantages of televisions, they also have negative impacts. Television causes obesity and learning disabilities in children. The whole chain of television production, distribution, and consumption releases high amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, which contributes to global warming. The discovery of refrigerators has led to unhealthy eating behaviors among Americans. They are also environmentally unfriendly if they are not disposed well. Sutton (2013) indicates that refrigerators are costly to run since they have high energy consumption rates.
Computers are essential in our daily lives. Despite the many benefits they have, they pose harmful effects on people and the environment. Sutton (2013) records that computers cause addiction and backbone problems among people who use them for long hours. Computers have heavy metals such as lead and harmful chemicals that pollute the soil and groundwater when they are inappropriately disposed.
One Scientific Discovery Important in Modern Life
I think electricity is the most important scientific discovery that makes modern life possible. Electricity is one of the forms of energy. Riley (2018) records that electricity comprises of a set of physical phenomena that are linked with the motion of matter with a feature of electric charge. It is the most widely used form of energy. Electricity can be static or current. Current electricity is form electricity in which charges are in constant motion whereas static electricity is motionless electricity produced by imbalance between positive and negative charges. Electricity is utilized in powering technologies like air conditioners, irons, computers, and cellphones.
Negative and positive Impacts of Electricity
According to Purcell and Morin (2013) generation of electricity ha both negative and positive impacts in the environment. All forms of electricity generate waste that lead to pollution and acidic rain. Secondly, lines that have high voltages cause hazardous effects to plants, people and animals that dwell near them. On the other hand, the positive impacts of electricity include: it is used in industries as fuel for production purposes and it has improved lives of people in homes where it used to power many appliances such as the microwave, washing machine, microwave and refrigerator. In comparing the negative impacts and the positive impacts, the positive impacts outweigh the negative impacts. Electricity has rendered labor intensive jobs easier than they were before.
Part II Science and Technology in a multicultural world
One advantage and Disadvantage
One example of westernized high-tech research approach to medical treatment is the use of cancer nanotetherapy. Macrae (2016) states that cancer nanotherapy is applied in medical sciences to offer more clear-cut treatments that are less complicated, less invasive and cheap. The advantage of this technology is that it could result in improved patient outcomes, widespread access to healthcare services, and reduced healthcare costs. One disadvantage is that it may cause morbidity and mortality as a result of cardiovascular effects
Traditional medicine Approach
As per the WHO (2019) traditional medicine is a set of skills, knowledge, beliefs, indigenous to various cultures, used in the diagnosis, prevention, treatment and maintenance of health. Traditional medicine has more health benefits as compared to conventional medicine. Research has shown that they are food integrators and they available in the market without appropriate prescription. They have little side effects. One disadvantage of traditional medicine that is common is that individuals do consider how the herbs interact with prescribed drug. Ekor (2013) states that the interaction between herbal medicines and conventional may result in adverse side effects.
Benefits of Multicultural Approaches to Medical Treatment
In multicultural practices, patients bring diverse cultural models of health, morality, kinship and healing to clinical encounters. Ethnic practices and religious convictions play a significant role when a patient interacts with a health caregiver. It is crucial that a health care professional understands the beliefs and values of patients before prescribing for them any drugs. Multicultural practices may shape a patient’s comprehension of the importance of health, how to handle illness, how to interact with healthcare professionals, how to fully follow the treatment plan, and suitable attitude toward death (Tan & Li, 2016).
Could these Approaches be improved?
To achieve the efficiency of therapeutic interventions it would be advisable to combine the two cultural approaches of medical treatment. Modern medical treatments owe a lot to the traditional medical treatment approaches. Many of the world’s population live in areas where traditional medicine is part of the official healthcare practices. Research has shown that it takes many years for drugs to get through development and the cost is huge (Zhang et al., 2011). It has also been observed that there is a growing resistance to drugs which renders many antibiotics useless. Such trends imply that scientists are in search for new drugs and they can turn their eyes on traditional medicine. Integrating of modern and traditional techniques underscores the importance of the co-existence between them. It could be possible to integrate the two methods to mainly uphold the best treatment plans for patients. Some surveys show that traditional medicines work better in the treatment of chronic diseases and area where conventional methods have been deemed weaker. By harmonizing these approaches there will be a better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses thus promoting the best medical interventions for patients.
Challenges of combining the two methods
According to Zhang et al. (2011) the challenges that hinder integration of the two methods of treatment could be due to limited studies on the impact on patients as a result of integration. Deciding on what medical student trainees should taught will be difficult, since adding traditional medicine content to the already rigorous schedule of nursing, medical, nursing and allied professional will pose a significant challenge. Countries could borrow some valuable lessons from Cuba where conventional medical treatment approaches and traditional medicine treatment approach are extensively trained in medical schools. Improving the respect the ancient practices in research may be crucial in the steps towards the integration of the two approaches.