The importance of technological metaphors
Have you ever tried to explain the colour blue, or what love is, or what it feels like to be a mother, or what happens to the parts of the universe that don’t emit energy?
Yes, we could say that the colour blue is a colour that is perceived by the eye when we see light with a wavelength between 460 and 482 nm, but no one would understand it. Explaining abstract concepts such as colour, emotions, feelings, or simply concepts that require advanced technical knowledge, is very complicated.
However, we can say that the colour blue is the shade in which the sky lights up on a summer morning. Or we can say that it is the colour of the sea. Or we can even say that it is the colour that represents sadness (especially if you are Anglo-Saxon). In other words, metaphors allow us to represent, in an easily accessible mental image, an abstract concept that is difficult to understand.
And in this moment in which the technological revolution makes us live it up close and at breakneck speed, technological metaphors are powerful tools that help us to understand this technology by comparing it with concrete and familiar elements. This is not new. Throughout history, these metaphors have been instrumental in explaining and popularising technological and scientific advances.
Metaphors for explaining how the universe works
When Plato first spoke of his theory of knowledge and ideas, his disciples in the Academy smiled and nodded as they pondered whether they would be better off as latrine cleaners. But it was then that Plato decided to apply his own theory and explain it through a metaphor, the allegory of The Myth of the Cave. Thus, it depicts human beings chained in a cave from birth, where they only see shadows projected on the wall and believe that this is reality.
At that time, philosophy took metaphors as the perfect tools to explain the workings of the universe to those who did not possess the ability or the knowledge. They were fighting ignorance in a time when the vast majority of the population was illiterate.
Man is always ready to deny everything he does not understand. -Aristotle-
It was with the industrial revolution that metaphors came into full force in the technological field. It was very difficult to convince the world that scientific advances were beneficial if they could not understand them. When James Watt, in the 18th century, evolved the steam engine to promote its use in different applications, he realised that he needed a unit of measurement that correctly represented the engine’s capacity. And so ‘horsepower’ was born, because these animals were what were then used to perform the toughest jobs. Watt used it as a unit of measurement by estimating that a horse could lift 330 pound-force of weight to a height of 100 feet in one minute, or in other words one horsepower equals approximately 735.5 watts or 0.9863 metric horsepower. It was much easier to understand that steam engines could have the power of one horsepower (1hp) than to explain that they had a power of 735.5 watts. Even today, it is easier to visualise through this metaphor.
Later, with advances in astrophysics and biochemistry, abstract concepts needed allegories and images to allow us to even glimpse the meaning. Terms such as ‘dark matter’, ‘space-time curve’ or ‘genetic code’ thus emerged. And with the invention of radio and the telephone, many of these metaphors were adopted as terms of their own. Who hasn’t heard of the ‘telephone network’?
A central processing unit or electronic brain
When a central processing unit (CPU) was first introduced, scientists realised that it would not be an easy idea to sell. It took up a lot of space, cost a lot of money and was difficult to communicate its benefits. So they decided to represent their work in the clearest possible way: it is an electronic brain. This comparison made it clear that it was an organ that controls and coordinates different functions for the proper functioning of the ‘body’.
And, even if influenced by Anglicisms, we now speak of ‘surfing’ when we refer to using the ‘network of connected data’, suggesting a journey through the information connected between devices like a fishing net, where each node represents a device and each thread a connection. We know that afirewallis a barrier that protects a network from unauthorised access, like a fire wall protects against fires. And of course, the ‘cloud’.
That cloud that we all quickly visualise as something big, fluffy, scalable, referring to services and data storage on remote servers accessible via the internet. It is very easy to see the idea of data floating in an intangible space, and therefore very easy to understand how it works. So when we are first told about ‘network slicing’it is very quick to understand that it is about fragmenting the ‘network’ in order to ‘digest’ it more quickly and comfortably, without ‘stuffing’ it.
But beware: metaphors not only facilitate understanding, they also shape our perception and attitude towards technology. They are a powerful tool for communication. For example, describing data as ‘oil’ suggests that it is a valuable resource to be extracted and exploited. In contrast, calling it ‘nuclear waste’ implies that it is dangerous and should be handled with care.
Communicating through technological metaphors
With great power comes great responsibility, someone wise once said. Precisely for this reason, technological metaphors must be treated with caution and tested before they can be used in mass communication. The metaphorical terms you use with your lab partners may not be understood by the general public. Imagine a farm where the operators call the animals ‘the bugs’. If an outsider comes to the farm and hears about ‘the bugs’ they are quite likely to call the health department on duty and report the situation so that they can take care of removing all the ‘bugs’ they find.
Creating effective technological metaphors involves various methods that combine creativity and analysis. And in this public service exercise, I outline some key steps in developing these metaphors:
- Understanding the concept: Before you start, it is essential to have a deep understanding of the technological concept you want to explain. This includes knowing its components, functions and how they interact with each other.
Identifying key features: what is most important, what will be the greatest benefit? For example, if you are explaining how a computer network works, key features could be the interconnection of devices or the flow of data.
Search for Analogies in the real world: identify situations or objects in the real world that share similar characteristics with the technological concept.
Metaphor creation: use the analogies found, making sure that the comparison is clear and easy to understand. For example, ‘The Sovereign Cloud provides a hierarchy to data and IT infrastructures in order to better control them’.
Simplification and clarity: avoid overly complex comparisons that can confuse rather than clarify. Clarity is key for the metaphor to be effective. - Test and feedback: test the metaphor with others outside the concept to see if it is understandable and effective. Then modify it if necessary according to the feedback received.
We live in an era where creativity and technology are converging in surprising ways. Generative artificial intelligence’ and “virtual assistants” can be valuable allies in enhancing our creativity. Provided we use the rightprompts, these tools can help us hone our technological metaphors and make our messages impactful with precision.
So, instead of dismissing these possibilities, let’s open our minds to the opportunities offered by the synergy between the human mind and new technologies.
