"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.

It was long before when computers were only used for Arithmetic calculations which proved to be very efficient in terms of time. But its true potential was unveiled only in the past couple of decades. The 20 th century was filled with many impactful and life changing events for Canadians. One of the biggest developments was in the field of science. The advancement in science and technology was remarkably significant for the evolution of the modern society. Modern day computers are one of the miraculous inventions of hum ans which is intensively used almost everywhere. This research paper discusses the advantages and the disadvantages of technology in the field o f science and health care. It includes the advancements of medical instruments used for therapy over the last decade and maintaining an Electronic Health Record which ensures better medical services for the public. It also points out the disadvantages of t he Electronic Health Record and how relying entirely on technology could be fatal. The progress in the area of science has been exponential since couple of decades. Many improved tools for diagnostic and treatment along with the use of powerful computers have saved millions of life all around the world. Various kinds of technology is used intensively in the field of medical science Technology is crucial for not just finding cure for the disease, but also to prevent them from inhibiting a person. Research shows that these advancements in technological instruments used at the present time has increased the average life expectancy of a Canadian to 80.4 years (based on data from 2005, Statistics Canada ) from 77.8 years which was in the year 1991. Although the i ncrease might be small, it vividly reflects the research and advancement in the field of medicine which was mainly possible because of the improvement of technology. At the current rate of progression, we can reach above and beyond says Debb Mathews, Ontario Minister for health and long term care. Every day, new technology is being invented to serve the society and for the betterment of the people. Advanced Laparoscopic Surgeries have increased the survival rate of the patient by 30% with many long term b enefits. This type of surgery only requires a pinch of a skin through which a camera is inserted and the surgery is performed with the help of a computer monitor which provides a high definition imaging. This technology is obviously better than a normal cu t-open surgery which exposes the internal of the patient and potentially causes fatal infections in vital organs of the body. This also saves the huge amount of blood transfusion which goes waste during normal open surgeries. Similarly, the new found Ele ctronic Health Record (EHR) plan by the government is under its full swing towards its completion. Canadians use health care system heavily. A majority of 94% has been documented on papers which are not easy to store and maintain in the long run. The feder al government of Canada recently announced that a sum of $500 million dollars have been allocated to develop a Electronic patient health record tracking system. This ambitious project was on the federal governments to-do list for about 20 years and it cam e into light in the year of 2009. This plan has a multitude of advantages directly and indirectly to the public. This has created more job opportunities in the sector of Information Technology which will eventually improve the Canadian economy. It has also outwitted the use of papers in many parts of Canada and proved to be eco -friendly. One of the major advantages of having an integrated health care information system is that doctors all

over Canada can access the information about their patient at a mouse click. This is essential for the doctor because knowing the patients history of diseases and treatment will provide a better insight into the patients medical condition and improve the service. This valuable information in case of an emergency and it ca rries the potential to save the life of the individual. Apart from the social and societal perspective, Canadas eHealth System will save up to $6 billion CDN for the government each year. However, there are a number of challenges that are faced by the g overnment before implementing a fully functional eHealth System. One of the biggest drawbacks is the money factor. The implementation of an EHR system is very costly and a longterm initiative. For example, the National Health Service's project in the United Kingdom is estimated to cost $2.5 billion over a seven -year period, and the Smart System project in Ontario has allocated $550 to $700 million over the f irst three years of the project. Also, taking the vast amount of health information accumulated for Canadians over their lifetimes and placing it within a structure that facilitates its extraction in an accurate, user-friendly, appropriate, timely and secure fashion is a n immense undertaking. Currently, an individual's health data are spread over many health care providers (e.g. physicians, hospitals, pharmacies), in many locations and in many formats. Another level of complexity is provided by the various provincial and territorial approaches to delivering health care. There is also a big concern about how and who has access to this technology. People are worried that their health data is not secure and their confidential health information could be misused by big companies. So they feel that having loads and loads of information at one place is not safe for anyone. Another downside of the improvement of technology is the improvement in the efficiency of weaponry. Weapons are created mainly and only for destruction purpose. It could be done in the name of self -defence or as a national security. As a country advances in its economic status, one of its main motives is to bulk up its ammunition and invent powerful destructive weapons. This starts a race between various countries and will eventually have a n undesirable effect. The famous Cold war between United States of America and Russia is a perfect example. Also, one of the biggest concerns with the advancement of technology is overuse of radioactive technology which has serious and fatal consequences. A team of Canadian researchers have performed a scientific experiment over 70,000 Canadians and concluded that people who are exposed to a dosage of radiation of over 7 milliSievert per year have a higher risk of getting cance r. These radiations include various sources such as MRI scan, CT-Scan, X-Ray, Ultra-Sound etc. Improvement in technology has surely saved millions of lives. However, over usage and misuse of the current technology has led to undesirable results and it is estimated that an average Canadian is exposed to close about 5mSv per year . In conclusion, the advancement in technology has surely favoured our very existence by simplifying our life and saving the lives of many. In contrast to this idea, it has also been one of the biggest annoyances and has been proved to be fatal. In the end, it all narrows down upon the way in which the technology is used by the individual. Humans have the freedom of mind and it is one of the most amazing things that draw a fine line between humans and other creatures. This freedom in each individual is a possibility of something new, something that has been undiscovered or perhaps something that has the potential to shape the future of

humanity with an invention of somethin g new. Yet it is the same freedom that poses serious threat to humanity such as nuclear weaponry and warfare . It is up to the person in control to make the full use of the technology in a way that benefits humanity rather than causing destruction.

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