Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site topaz.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!godot!harvard!seismo!topaz!STEINER@RUTGERS.ARPA From: STEINER@RUTGERS.ARPA Newsgroups: net.works Subject: Data Considered Harmful Message-ID: <159@topaz.ARPA> Date: Mon, 7-Jan-85 02:45:04 EST Article-I.D.: topaz.159 Posted: Mon Jan 7 02:45:04 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 9-Jan-85 02:13:08 EST Sender: daemon@topaz.ARPA Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 34 From: Ken LawsI really >>hate<< to stir up the VDT health issue again, but I had a thought about it that hasn't been covered in the discussions I've seen. Early research concentrated on x-rays; later studies have been covering nonionizing radiation (and also negative ion density, etc.). I have not heard, however, of any studies about VDTs and motion sickness. There have been reports on TV about NASA's motion sickness studies indicating that the queasiness is due to a discrepancy between motion estimates from the visual field and from the inner ear. You can get motion sickness from watching (intently) a picture of waves against a heaving horizon even though you are stationary. I have occasionally become queasy when intently editing a long file of addresses. I surmise that the intermittent, but nearly continuous, upward scrolling has the same effect on my visual sense as the picture of a heaving horizon would. Is it possible, then, that headaches, nausea, or even miscarriages, are caused in some people by the constant scrolling of data? This would tend to explain why the reports of health problems are often from just a few data entry pools -- they may be the ones with this type of editing or scanning task. It might also explain why studies with mice have been negative: you can't get them to watch the screen intently. It would be interesting to know whether anyone has studied this effect. -- Ken Laws