KARACHI: Speaking about miraculous discoveries and inventions in the field of genetics and electronics, Dr Atta-ur-Rahman, United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s science laureate and a former federal minister for science and technology, has said the people of Pakistan can benefit from them if visionary people are placed at the helm of affairs of both the ministry of science and technology and the government.

“In the modern world every country needs knowledge economy as other types of economy could not benefit humankind in future,” he said on Friday in a lecture at the inauguration ceremony of Jafer Husain memorial video conference facility at the Dadabhoy University.

Dr Rahman said the video conference facility would benefit students enormously as they would be able to learn from lectures of international universities in their classrooms.

He pronounced exciting discoveries in the sphere of science in the modern world and invented account of discoveries in genetic science, saying that new plants could be produced by tailoring the genes of certain plants.

“A new generation of cows has been bred by tailoring genes so that their milk resembles the human milk. Malaria virus could be used for the treatment of cancer after tailoring the genes. Also the process of aging in human being can be reversed by this technology,” said Dr Rahman.

The audience was informed that meta-material and intelligent materials had been discovered. Meta-material is a material engineered to have a property that is not found in nature.

He said meta-material might give such strength to a piece of paper that it can turn bulletproof while intelligent material produced a quality of self-mending of the damage in ordinary metals.

While commenting on how to get benefit from the discoveries in science in the modern world, he said that the socio-political system in Pakistan caused resistance.

“We can’t benefit from modern discoveries unless we experience revolutionary change. The country should develop knowledge economy,” he said He said Pakistan produced and exported textile goods which had an entire sphere of six per cent in world trade.

“Pakistan has a total export of $23 billion on account of this activity while Singapore’s volume of exports has risen to $518 billion by export of knowledge-based scientific goods in information technology and other products based on scientific inventions.”

Dr Rahman said biotechnology had discovered genes in human body which were responsible for various diseases including obesity. Genetics would help cure diseases. An artificial kidney like machine had been developed which would save patents from dialysis, he said.

On molecular basis of memory, he said learning process was based on the formation of hydro-bonds and amnesia was like breaking up of those bonds. He said thoughts were not abstract but they also had a material base.

Abdullah Dadabhoy, chairmen of the board of governors of the university, eulogised his services in the field of science and thanked Dr Rahman.

Dr Shahana Urooj Kazmi, vice chancellor of the Dadbhoy Institute of Higher Education, also spoke.

Published in Dawn September 4th, 2016