Interactions of Science, Technology and Medicine: Electromagnetic Radiation during the Twentieth Century

Abstract

Maxwell's original prediction for existence of electromagnetic waves was quickly confirmed by experiment. And at once the basic sphere of use of electromagnetic radiation for communication was defined. Development of more and more powerful radar devices led to high morbidity of attendants and personnel. The term "radio wave illness" appeared, stimulating development of a new scientific direction in biology and medicine and demonstrating the need for standards of hygienic safety. Detection of nonthermal effects of MM radiation radically increased the social importance of scientific medical researches, due to the proven existence of their positive medical effects. Presence of positive medical effect has changed orientation of technical workings out for radar devices. The orientation on creation of portable radar devices appeared. This allowed an expansion in the sphere of medical use, including about 80 diagnoses of illnesses. Research into nonthermal effects had shown a poor reproducibility of results. Use of the thermodynamic theory of systems under electromagnetic radiation has allowed us to establish the reason for poor reproducibility of isothermal processes in the radio-frequency region. Moreover, thermodynamic theory has allowed us to establish a new approach to hygienic standardization of harmful actions of electromagnetic radiation, to explain a wide generality of applicability of the Weber-Fechner law, to establish a correlation between terminology of Western science and Chinese medicine and to estimate prospects of their -integration.