What Are the Biggest Challenges Technology Must Overcome in the Next 10 Years? #5

Dear Friends:

The magazine Gizmodo did a series of papers on some advances in the sciences that they would like to see over the next decade!

What I found interesting is the fact that they didn't resort to the usual "flying cars" and "two-headed cows" stories but instead concentrated on real-life problems that affect society in a number of ways.

For this week, we featured some of the best papers from a variety of scientists on real issues that might impact us all!

Lori Andrews

University Distinguished Professor, Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology, whose work focuses on the impact of technologies on individuals, relationships, communities, and social institutions.

Technologies from medicine to transportation to workplace tools are overwhelmingly designed by men and tested on men. Rather than being neutral, technologies developed with male-oriented specs can cause physical harm and financial risks to women.

Pacemakers are unsuited to many women since women’s hearts beat faster than men’s and that was not figured into the design. Because only male crash test dummies were used in safety ratings until 2011, seat-belted women are 47% more likely to be seriously harmed in car accidents.

When men and women visit “help wanted” websites, the technological algorithms direct men to higher-paying jobs. Machine learning algorithms designed to screen resumes so that companies can hire people like their current top workers erroneously discriminate against women when those current workers are men.

Women’s hormones are different than men’s, causing some drugs to have enhanced effects in women and some to have diminished effects. Even though 80% of medications are prescribed to women, drug research is still predominantly conducted on men. Between 1997 and 2000, the FDA pulled ten prescription drugs from the market, eight of which were recalled because of the health risks they posed to women.

On the other hand, some treatments may be beneficial to women, but never brought to market if the testing is done primarily on men. Let’s say that a drug study enrolls 1000 people, 100 of whom are women. What if it offers no benefit to the 900 men, but all 100 women are cured?

The researchers will abandon the drug, judging that it is only 10% effective. If a follow-up study focused on women, it could lead to a new drug to the benefit of women and the economy.

And there ya fave it folks, some different thoughts on what the next decade might bring!

The way I see it anyway!