Making the Invisible Visible: A Science and Society View of Developing Non-invasive Thermal Technology

Technological innovations that are detached from social context are problematic, particularly for those who are already structurally disadvantaged by factors such as race, disability, geography, job security and health. Design that happens in context provides opportunities for innovative thinking and creative solutions that anticipate the complexities of real-world implementation and improve the potential for technology adoption. This chapter describes an interdisciplinary project that involved the development and critique of a “provotype” health intervention from the perspective that technology is never benign and that artifacts have politics. Working across disciplines on complex, real world issues can be difficult in university systems frequently designed to foster and reward disciplinary specialisation. This work highlights the necessity to include interdisciplinary working practices, and build an integrated body of knowledge, particularly in circumstances that require rapid responses to global problems, such as COVID-19.