Vijayawada: Overuse of devices harmful to health

Vijayawada: During ancient period, man used sword and arrow as his weapons. Today soldiers on ground use a number of sensors and electronic gadgets that can protect them as well as attack the enemy, said Dr John Philip of Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research at Kalpakkam.

He addressed the second day of national academies - sponsored workshop held at Andhra Loyola College, Degree Seminar hall here on Tuesday. Dr John Philip along with Dr Abdul Azeem from NIT Warangal and Dr Mani, principal scientist from Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology, Hyderabad were the resource persons.

Dr John Philip said that 30 years back no one thought that cell phones will occupy such a prominent position in humans' life. 'Similarly, 30 years from now devices based on smart materials and multifunctional materials will occupy prominent position. Smart materials are the ones that respond to various stimuli like light, heat, magnetic and electric exposure and change their properties.'

Dr John said scientific world is inventing a variety of sensors and smart materials that has applications in every sphere of our life. Overuse of these technologies like cell phones will have disastrous effects on human health and environment. He suggested that care should be taken while choosing and using the new devices and gadgets.

Dr Abdul Azeem explained the materials that are used as implants in body like heart valve, bone replacement ceramics, and other body parts. His research work on bioglasses was well explained to the students.

Dr Mani explained the process involved in manufacturing purest form of electronic materials. These are used to make integrated circuits, he said.

Director of Research Prof N Veeraiah, Convener Prof Jaya Shankar from SV University, the faculty of Physics and Science Departments, about 150 students from various colleges participated in the workshop.