Invention of Light Bulbs by Davy: Ethical Issues

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Sir Humphrey Davy and the Light Bulb
Ethical Issues
Conclusion
Reference List

Introduction

The technological advancement is an important part of human history which refers to all period of it because inventions were made in every period but are so deeply rooted into the routine life that people do not even think about the importance of this or that issue. An electric light bulb can be considered one of such issues because we think little about its structure, except for the students of technological faculties who are supposed to know its structure for further education and professional development.

At the same time, the electric light bulb became a source of controversies and debates because people started to notice the effects produced by these bulbs on their health and environment. The main effect produced on environment concerns the production and recycling/utilization of this product whereas the effect on human health can be found reflected in the media and press. As such, it is important to investigate on the most visible components of this issue with regard to the health and environmental hazards.

Sir Humphrey Davy and the Light Bulb

This was a pivotal moment when Humphrey picked up an interest in the field of electrochemistry in the year 1808 because it led to discovery of the most famous invention in his life which was the carbon arc lamp. However, the nature of his inventions in combination with his temperament made him rather scholarly and technologically oriented than finance and benefit oriented which resulted in financial losses.

Humphrey Davy was driven by the need for results; he usually focused on creativity rather than repetition of experiments or consistency. In fact, this could have been his greatest flaw. Instead of perfecting his inventions, Davy preferred to experiment quickly and move on to the next discovery. Furthermore, he did not patent his light bulb thus costing him huge losses in terms of future inventions.

Though Sir Davy was not the first to deal with electricity and light, he managed to bring something new to analysis of this phenomenon and experiments on producing electricity and light. The intensity and duration of that light was minute as to make it inapplicable Davy dealt with this issue by first changing the electrodes being used. Instead of using metallic electrodes, Davy decided to utilize non metallic ones.

When the hot methane in Davy’s lamp started burning, it could not go to the external environment because of the wire gauze barrier (Holmes, 2008).This decision was decisive for scientific purposes but no one advised him to patent the invention. Davy’s discovery, therefore, set the precedent for other inventions in electric lighting science. So, technically, he was one of the first scientists to develop this (Fullmer, 1969).

Ethical Issues

The lighting became an integral part of our lives but sometimes people use lighting without being aware of its hazardous effect. Frumkin (2010) emphasized the importance of lighting and the relation between the better academic achievements and proper lighting in classes (p. 699). So, the light is not the issue without which people can now operate.

Night shifts and facilities with no windows make the need for good lighting a challenging issue and every institution solves this problem in different ways including different types of lamps used.

Health care and hazards imposed

The number of various problems occurring with people due to inappropriate environment and use of the products manufactured of the materials that are not environmentally safe made the public and media investigate on this issue and find out how serious the problem is. “The specific technique used to produce a nanoscale material could influence the human health risk associated with that material” (Thomas & Sayre, 2005, p. 316).

The light bulbs can be also produced of this material causing various malfunctions in the human organism and worsening the condition of some patients at hospitals that use such lighting techniques that influence the patients’ condition. The more people doubt about the danger of some technology and do not agree to eliminate it from daily application, the more serious the consequences can be for successive generations.

Health care issues are more important than the use of materials because people report about the hazardous effects of fluorescent bulbs. “Many people with lupus have photosensitivity – generally sensitivity to the sun (which emits UVA and UVB rays) but fluorescent bulbs can be just as hard to tolerate” (Light bulb issue, n. d., p. 1).

One would say that sensitivity is not the reason for debates and people should use more appropriate creams and balsams to nourish their skin which is so sensitive to light. However, the symptoms include blurred vision, rashes, burning/dry/scratchy eyes, and other increased lupus symptoms which usually occur while using fluorescent bulbs. What if a person works in a room where such lighting is used whereas his/her work is related to mechanisms or tools that require more attention and concentration? – Should people get fired due to inappropriate lighting or this issue can be discussed in public?

Sun tan is another issue that can result in cancer and other ulcerative skin diseases. However, the positive effect of the sunlight and the vitamin D that is produced in the human organism under the sunlight is claimed to reduce the depression. So, the sun tan can be prescribed to those who face depression. Nevertheless proper education of people on such issues would help them to make decisions on their own and protect their health from hazardous effect of questionable technologies.

Environmental issues

The environment is affected by human activity such as manufacturing, pollution, and other fields of science and industry that contribute negatively t the natural environment of the planet. “This government anticipates that replacing the 87million incandescent bulbs used each year in the province would save six million megawatt hours every year – enough energy to power 600,000 homes” (Light bulb issue, n. d., p. 1). As one can see, the use of different materials and technologies may be potentially beneficial for humankind as well as dangerous for health and environment.

Conclusion

Technology can be as convenient and friendly as hazardous and dangerous. This issue makes most technological applications doubtful in terms of their safety for human health and environment while being produced and recycled or utilized. Davy made many discoveries in chemistry but when it came to electric light, he was the first to demonstrate what could be achieved. However, the applicability of his invention is what has led to ethical issues.

So, health can be damaged with the help of an electric light bulb; at the same time, better academic achievements are demonstrated when the class is lighted appropriately.

Reference List

Frumkin, H. (2010). Environmental health: From global to local (2^nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley and Sons.

Fullmer, J. (1969). Sir Humphrey Davy’s published works. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Holmes, R. (2008). The age of wonder. New York, NY: Pantheon Books.

Light bulb issue heating up for people with lupus. (n. d.). Web.

Thomas, K., & Sayre, P. (2005). Research strategies for safety evaluation of nanomaterials, Part I: Evaluating the human health implications of exposure to nanoscale materials. Toxicological Sciences, 87(2), 316-321. Web.

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