Necessity is the mother of Invention is an ancient maxim that proves how humans have toiled and tried different things to alleviate their sufferings and make the world a better place. For example, human inventions have done a lot to make transportation easier and more luxurious. It has made communication easier and faster than ever before. This is true also when it comes to quality healthcare.
However there are human inventions that have side effects, and sadly it has brought untold hardships to humans whom I may refer to as victims of circumstance. These inventions pose a potential threat to life and well-being. And at times its effects are irreversible. Let's talk about a few of them.
Biological Weapons
As biologists make research and develop a lot as a result of biotechnology, this has resulted in developing biological weapons whose primary targets are living organisms. They use harmful biological agents, such as bacteria, viruses, or toxic materials , to cause illness which will result in the death of humans, animals, or plants. These weapons can be deployed in various forms, including liquids which could be dispensed in mist form, water or food. The harm caused by this form of weapon is unpredictable.
Automated Weapons
This form of weapon is also known as LAWS (Lethal Autonomous Weapon System) These are weapons that can operate themselves without any human controlling them. These systems may use artificial intelligence to analyze data and carry out their own task with any continuous assistance.
They have the ability to select, identify, and shout any target without any human controlling them. Examples of these are unmanned aerial vehicles or certain military robots. And this raises serious concerns since it can malfunction and also cannot account for its errors.
Chemical Weapons
The residents of Bhopal and communities along the Rhine River had become the victims of a technological age. Accidental release of a poisonous gas in Bhopal India killed more than 2,500 men, women, and children. It maimed more than a hundred thousand others. This also resulted in the death of many domestic and aquatic animals.
A chemical spillage from an industrial plant above Basel, Switzerland, released 40 tons of poisonous waste into the Rhine. It killed hundreds of thousands of fish and eels as it flowed along the border of Germany and France, into the Rhineland and from the Netherlands to the North Sea.
The two scenarios mentioned above show the devastating effect when industrial chemicals find their way outside the chemical plant. Think about how disastrous it would be when nerve agents, blister agents and toxins are carefully released as weapons.
Nuclear Weapons
Nuclear weapons can be very devastating and its effects are irreparable. This is caused by the huge amount of energy it releases when it is detonated.
The first of its kind was invented during the second world War. A research and development project by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, successfully produced the first nuclear weapons. Some key effects of Nuclear weapons include: nuclear fallout, electromagnetic pulse, radiation, heat and blast. Seventy-nine (79) years have passed since the atomic bomb called “Little Boy” was dropped on Hiroshima during World War II. Since then, Hiroshima has undergone so many significant reconstruction and developments.
Synthetic Media
This kind of media involves the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to create or manipulate content either audio or video. With this technology, impersonators could alter an audio or video content to play a fast one on the public. These fake videos and audios sometimes earn people's trust. Good or reputable individuals or firms stand the risk of losing public trust, at times potential investors if they fall prey. This is clearly seen in some social media handles where identity theft and hacking of accounts has been the other of the day.
Surveillance Systems
These include every tool and system used for recording and monitoring activities in a particular locality. It is often used for safety and security purposes. These surveillance systems have been very beneficial. For example, a man living overseas checks the activities around his house in his village with the help of a closed-circuit television he installed. Shop owners can monitor customers and how his employees treat his customers.
But at times when installed without proper management can lead to abuse and prying into people's private life. Also the possibility of the government using such tools against the masses is high.
Genetic modifications
These terms describe This is the process of remodeling or modifying an organism's genome using biotechnology techniques to arrive at a desired characteristic or traits. Examples of these are cloning, gene therapy, insulin production, golden rice and glow-in-the dark animals. These examples show that genetic modification has a diversified application. However, at times, it comes with uncertain consequences which may lead to gene mutation and also environmental hazards.
It is important to know that there are a lot of risks involved with the inventions mentioned above but they are also beneficial. When regulated by proper agencies, the risks are reduced thus making their benefits outweigh the dangers associated with them.
(Credit)
Thumbnail gotten from Pixabay
Second image gotten from Pixabay
