Biosensors are a big deal in the nanotechnology tiniverse. Sensors that can detect pathogens in blood, biomarkers in saliva, even odours in the air, as well as more standard measurements such as body temperature and heart rate, are all being developed so that we can monitor everything from food production in a factory to engine health in vehicles through to our own personal well-being. When the tiny personal biosensors become widely available we will be able to monitor our health ourselves. Traditional visits to your GP for standard tests may be over. This could ultimately lead to a greater degree of self-diagnosis, diminishing the strain on GP surgeries and increasing the early detection of diseases such as cancers, Alzheimer’s, AIDS, diabetes and osteoporosis. Of course there's no substitute for a friendly doctor, or alternative medicines. These nanosensor technologies promise a lot, so it's important that they are reliable – maybe we'll need a biosensor to detect hypochondria due to data panic!
Tuesday 15th Feb 2019: Had the implant fitted today - just a tiny injection, hardly the surgery I was worried about! Apparently they could make it even smaller but it needs to be big enough to be easily detected. Can't help thinking I am on the way to being a robot, but if the kids are having it done it's only fair that us teachers do too.
Monday 21st Feb: Always excited to see class after the weekend, but today especially as we start using the new augmented classroom! It's creating quite a buzz. We should be able to get readings from all the children as they learn.
Tuesday 22nd Feb: The last two days have been exhausting. Four of my lessons were in the AugClass and there is so much to keep an eye on! I hadn't considered the amount of data processing I would have to do. I can see from the levels that the class was most stimulated when we were discussing weekend activities, but also when presented with their maths challenge sheets. Great news! My readings said I remained stressed all day, I think it's just the excitement.
Friday 25th Feb: Am slightly overwhelmed at the empathy I am feeling for the pupils. The AugClass feedback system gives me all of their physical and emotional statuses, it's almost like seeing into their minds. I am wondering if our curriculum is too much for some of the kids... My levels high all day again, knowing this adds to them I'm sure!
Wednesday 2nd Mar: At home in bed. My levels have been steadily rising since the AugClass lessons and my AugReader has indicated I need bed rest. Irritatingly I feel OK but am not allowed to go in to school. Very frustrating as both Alice and Ethan were very distraught yesterday and I was hoping to spend time with them, and three of the Year 1's are not coping in English, which I wanted to sort out.
Friday 5th Mar: Signed off on sick leave. My AugReader has flagged me as too stressed and anxious to work, which is bloody ridiculous. Have booked implant removal for Monday.
Tuesday 9th Mar: Implant removal was unsuccessful as they can't locate it. Am fuming (adding to the levels rising of course) as I am still am being denied permission to work. My pupils need me and this poxy machine is interfering.
Thursday 11th Mar: Finally saw the human consultant who has given me the all clear as I knew he would. Apparently some of the implants don't calibrate correctly and give false readings. Still no information on how it can be located and removed.
Thursday 11th June: New implant performing well, levels normal after two weeks of use. School regulations now require secondary GP opinion on all AugReader alerts, although no mismatches have occurred since my experience. Each pupil now has only one AugClass lesson per week, which suits me – I think I was getting too involved.
Daphne Armitage is Deputy Head Teacher at Cricksneck Upper, Bradstonshire.