How are computers used in Health and Science?

The computer knows nothing about bones or bodies so the computers produce the animation by making points at frame x and at frame, the computer can calculate the frames in between. The skill of the animators is used to show a dinosaur's weight and other complex details that a computer cannot do. Only recently a computer software programme was built for the animated film "Stuart Little" for his individual bodily hairs. The normal computer could not comprehend that each hair on the mouse's body was different. Similarly the human skin cells are different and therefore computers cannot create an accurate human image with the normal computer software programmes.

They started to construct the dinosaur on computer by initially using a "maquette" which is a model made by a sculptor. They took the sculpture and used a laser scanning system to create a set of points in the computer that described the shape in 3D.

The model has no colouring and they often have little in the way of detail, so they created the wrinkles, scales and colour on the skin. That was done with a "texture map" - a model of the skin which is mapped onto the creature by the computer. There's one map for the torso and separate ones for the limbs and these have to be joined seamlessly which was quite difficult for the computer. The director superimposed the dinosaur images on top of the filmed backgrounds so the dinosaurs would appear to be jumping around! The computer tracked the marks on the film and then adjusted the dinosaur's positions accordingly on each frame. After that they removed the tracking marks from the picture, again via the computer.

The programme producers are supplied with a range of angles and features of the same shots. They do a monochrome version with all the detail, highlight versions to grade the dinosaur to show background on the dinosaur. There are matte versions and colour versions. The programme editors decide what to use to portray the right image.

Scientists in the United States of America are developing a new smarter baby suit for the future. This unlike the old belt is kind on the skin, does not provide frequent false alarms and also stretches with elastic fibres with the chest to measure breathing.

Hi-tech ultrasound is being used to view an elephant foetus in 3D. The problem with a conventional ultrasound is that it does not through through the elephant's thick hide. Elephants have a pregnancy of 22 months and scientists are hoping with the use of those ultrasound images coincided with computer software programmes to learn more about the development of baby elephants. The number of wild Asians elephants decreasing dramatically, the successful birth of babies is important to safeguard the species. The more we understand with the use of computers the more we will be able to prevent the deaths of elephants prematurely and after birth.

The most influential and prominently demonstrated use of Information Computer Technology is in the continuing improvement of health care. The information and medical research and advice can be obtained from any country around the world to save lives and to improve health care. In West Africa where malaria is researched heavily then they send data for clinical trials to cities such as London and Washington. Therefore advice and information can be traded and supplied by any nation to any nation around the world with an everyday computer (Internet is a good way of transferring data, advice and information).

Advantages

The reason computers are so useful is-

* The computers speed up health and scientific processes, experiments and data retrieval and transfer.

* The computer monitors processes faster and more accurately. It monitors more than a million times per second.

* The reason the computer is used in hospitals and surgeries is that they are more precise and accurate.

* Computers can help the development and improvement of everyday health and more importantly are vital in major scientific breakthroughs.

Disadvantages

The reason computers can be a disadvantage-

* The computer cannot show weight or individual human features that are unique to the person.

* The computer cannot act on instincts and cannot be like a doctor therefore no personal touch is there.

* The computer can only abide by its rules it has been instructed. Unlike a person it does not now how to act or react in a crisis.

Health and science is being used everyday and more importantly new software programmes are being made that allow advancement that had never seen possible. Health data, advice and information can be transferred to third world countries to save lives. This communication is improving everyday and is invaluable to poor countries. Now in every developed country around the world is using computers to help create a cure for cancer that would save so many lives.