Denworth, Lydia. “A-Fib–a Rapid, Irregular Heartbeat–Can Kill You, but New Tech Can Spot It.” Scientific American, 25 Jan. 2024, www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-fib-a-rapid-irregular-heartbeat-can-kill-you-but-new-tech-can-spot-it/.

A-fib is a heart condition that is often lethal. Surveys show that a quarter of cases can go undiagnosed over the course of 2 years; a long time someone can be at risk without even realising. However, research shows that certain health-related devices can help detect this disease before it strikes. Fit-bits and Apple Watches can be used to detect spikes in heart activity and lead to a diagnosis.

This is a perfect example of a perfect use of technology. Preventing people from suffering or even dying, something people from 100 or even 75 years ago wouldn’t have imagined to be possible. The risk with this tech is that such features could be locked behind paywalls if the companies that manufacture those products choose to gatekeep the detection features in the name of profits.