Page 63 - How It Works - Book Of Amazing Answers To Curious Questions, Volume 05-15

Technology

Does staring at a
computer screen

damage your
eyesight?

twenty-year study of 4,500 children in
A the US recently concluded that there
was no link between those who spent the
most time in front of a TV or computer and
the ones that went on to become
shortsighted. But another study found that
computer use may increase the risk of
glaucoma, particularly if you are already
shortsighted to begin with. Glaucoma is a

disease where the fluid doesn’t flow out of
the iris properly, increasing the pressure in
the eye and eventually damaging the optic
nerve. Regular eye tests should catch this
early on though, and it can be treated quite
easily with eye drops.
How do fitness trackers count A study found

your steps? that computer use

lectronic fitness trackers have plates and converted into a measure of the may increase the risk

E accelerometers that use micro-electro- acceleration. Three of these tiny
mechanical systems (MEMS) technology. accelerometers are packed at right angles to of glaucoma,
They consist of a pair of three metal plates each other on the same chip, so the fi tness
sandwiched together. The middle one has a tracker can measure the movement of your particularly if you are
counterweight that can move in response to wrist in three dimensions. Since you swing
sudden accelerations. This moves the middle your arms as you walk or run, software already shortsighted to
plate slightly closer to the outer plate on one algorithms can translate this into the number
side or the other, which can be detected as a of steps you have taken. Most trackers are begin with
change in the capacitance between the only around 90 per cent accurate, though.

How It Works 63