I was interested in something recently written by Jim Pinto that made me decide that in reality we know a lot about nothing.
He mentioned: "Around the world, honeybees are vanishing, leaving humans desperately trying to figure out the meaning of the exodus. Entire colonies of bees are flying off and not returning."
Vivian MacFadyen
Some of the possible reasons are pesticides, genetically modified crops, cellphones, and many other theories.
Whatever it is, the bees are in serious trouble because somehow man is messing with their natural senses. The big question is "What is - whatever it is - doing to us?" There are so many things that we do not fully understand, affecting things we do not know about; and that in itself is quite scary.
We are now in the wireless age and our bodies are being bombarded from every direction with electromagnetic waves of all sorts, yet we are ignorant about the eventual effect on our bodies. Many companies have developed wireless instrumentation with the capacity to transmit diagnostics as well as the measured variable. What is the effect on living organisms, and most importantly us?
Engineers have used lead for about a thousand years yet it is only recently that we have recognised the danger of lead in paint, fuel and solder. Many instrument manufacturers have courageously moved away from the use of lead in their soldering of electronic components at considerable expense. This is most commendable considering the social impact.
Pharmaceutical manufacturers have scrapped developments that have cost them millions of dollars after finding that their medicines adversely affect the patients they are treating. An example is Thalidomide where the decision to abort the use of this drug had to wait for hundreds of deformities in children before it was banned.
It is impossible to forecast the results of a new development before they actually present themselves. Let us hope that (if there is a problem) financial and political forces combined with pride do not hamper safety considerations before any lasting damage is done.
Digitise what matters and leverage
SAIMC
SAIMC has been invited to partner with technology leaders 4Sight and NextGenOpX for a one-day industry event aimed at unlocking the full value of OT investments in the mining sector.
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In this day and age, we all have access to AI tools. A lot of people claim that if you are not using AI tools in your daily job today you are falling behind. But would it be ethical to use AI tools to write an article per day and sign my name to it?
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SAIMC
The Durban branch of the SAIMC held its July technology meeting at the familiar Premier Splendid Hotel, drawing a strong turnout of industry professionals.
Read more...SAIMC: Johannesburg branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The SAIMC Johannesburg branch recently hosted the July Technology Evening at the Bryanston Sports Club.
Read more...Digitise what matters and leverage
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SAIMC has been invited to partner with technology leaders 4Sight and NextGenOpX for a one-day industry event aimed at unlocking the full value of OT investments in the mining sector.
Read more...Bridging the digital gap in industrial systems SAIMC Supplier Advisory Council
SAIMC
Industrial engineers, digital transformation leaders, and operations managers are invited to an exclusive knowledge-sharing event designed to tackle the complexities of digitising large-scale systems.
Read more...SAIMC Johannesburg branch SAIMC
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The SAIMC Johannesburg branch recently hosted the June Technology Evening. The presentation covered HVAC systems through the lens of instrumentation, highlighting how sensor technologies form the backbone of effective monitoring and control, allowing for effective energy efficiency.
Read more...SAIMC Durban branch SAIMC
SAIMC
The SAIMC Durban Branch hosted its latest technology meeting on 4 June.The event drew a strong turnout, highlighting the keen interest in the topic ‘Understanding Level Measurement: Contact vs Non-Contact Methods’.
Read more...SAIMC at KITE 2025
SAIMC
The Society for Automation, Instrumentation, Mechatronics and Control Engineering (SAIMC) invites you to connect with us at the KwaZulu-Natal Industrial Technology Exhibition (KITE) from Tuesday 22 to Thursday 24 July 2025.
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