eMedical Teacher#37

Magic and technology are linked through many origin myths and stories such as that of Prometheus (Ihde, 2004). More recently science fiction author and technological visionary Arthur C Clarke restated the connection by observing that ‘‘any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic’’ (Clarke, 1961). Although this simple concept has influenced many works of fiction it has perhaps had a more significant effect on the way we perceive technology in general. In particular it illustrates the very different ways that technologies can be perceived or interpreted, and by implication the impact that such interpretations may have on those that make them. Complexity is not generally considered to be a virtue. While some of us may choose to pursue activities that are difficult and challenging, such as certain sports and games, we usually just want to have things work reliably, simply, smoothly and unobtrusively. From our transportation, homes, finances, and communications to our education and our professional lives we typically tolerate no more complexity than is required to ‘get the job done’. Hiding complexity has therefore become a major contemporary design paradigm that pervades many, if not most, areas of contemporary life. Even technical practice environments such as aircraft cockpits and operating theatres pursue efficiency and safety through the appropriate minimisation of complexity. While managing distraction and efficiency are important, even critical, to the safe and appropriate use of many technologies, the abstraction or concealment of a technology’s function may also lead to what has been identified as the ‘automagical’ effect, a compound of, automatic, and, magical, that reflects the way a technology’s users are encouraged to receive and react to it even if such a reaction was not intended by the designers. This edition of eMT will consider the pluses and minuses associated with automagical design and thinking when applied to healthcare education.