99% Invisible

The Lows of High Tech

Jul 27, 2021

Todd Rose, Director of the Mind, Brain, and Education program at Harvard, delves into the concept of averages and their impact on design and technology. He highlights Britt Young's experience with high-tech prosthetics, revealing the emotional complexities and challenges users face. The discussion critiques how societal pressures and military innovations shape our understanding of assistive technologies. Rose advocates for inclusivity in design, emphasizing the need to rethink what 'average' means to accommodate diverse needs and foster a more equitable future.

40:19

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Episode guests

Todd Rose

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Episode notes

Intro

2min

Celebrating Bionics: A Journey of Innovation and Emotion

7min

The Evolution of Prosthetics and Personal Identity

13min

Adapting with Tech: A Personal Journey

5min

The Birth of Averages: Historical Insights

6min

From Soldiers to Standards: The Evolution of Design

8min

Redefining Fit for Inclusivity and Opportunity

4min

Britt Young is a geographer and tech writer based in the Bay Area. She also has what's called a "congenital upper limb deficiency." In other words, she was born without the part of her arm just below her left elbow. She's used different sorts of prosthetic devices her whole life, and in 2018, she celebrated the arrival of a brand new, multi-articulating prosthetic hand. This prosthetic hand has a sleek carbon fiber casing, with specific pre-programmed grips that she can control just by flexing the muscles in her residual limb. She can use a precision pinch to pick a hairpin off of the table, or a Hulk-style power fist to squeeze objects. This kind of assistive technology has been life-changing for a lot of people who have limb differences. But for Britt, in particular, it hasn't been life-changing at all. In fact, her cutting-edge bionic arm has been a pretty major disappointment. "It's just not what you imagine. It's not like I'm like everyone else now, it's something different."

The Lows of High Tech

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