What’s a black box?
“A self-contained unit in an electronic or computer system whose circuitry need not be known to understand its function.”
Black boxes have become more and more prevalent. And that modern man depends more and more on them is all too evident. Whatever device or product we buy, each has its own instructions for use, from the simplest to the more complex ones.
WHAT WE ITALIANS DO?
It is often said of us Italians, that we first switch a device on, then not seeing it work, we turn back and read the instructions on how to use it. To my knowledge, there is much truth in this opinion. This certainly seems like a good approach and seems to work – most of the time.
Wasn’t Italy the country of explorers? So, let’s not look at this as a joke, but as something that may reveal some truth and even wisdom.
However, no matter where we turn our heads, we find more products and devices that even the more learned people – unless they are specific experts – do not know how these things work. This is what I call the ‘black box syndrome’. Modern man uses them, but does not understand them.
It is obviously a question of continual technological development, which is mainly positive, I think …
BUT, I WANT MORE …
Yet, I feel something still itches that I can’t scratch. National Geographic / Discovery Channel broadcast extensive coverage of critical questions such as “how is it made?” and “how does it work?”. Meaning that the instruction “push the button and see the gorilla” is not really instructive or satisfactory. Some of us look for more intelligent answers to the question “how?”.
On one side, I praise the work done by engineers to write instructions for use having the user in mind. On the other hand, I have also to lament the shortcuts they often take, making what they write almost incomprehensible.
THE PROBLEM?
I see huge opportunities for risk professionals to dig deeper into the problem of black boxing.
I feel rural people are more protected from “black-box risks” because they are used to directly control what they do and how they do it. They seldom delegate.
For example: my father, a farmer’s son, used to maintain his house by himself, he never needed to hire artisans save for electrical work, because he feared electricity. I, his son, a chemical engineer, almost stop short of changing a burned out light bulb. I depend on external manpower, consultants or handy men, because almost everything is a black box to me.
Modern man has certainly gone a long distance on the technology road. He knows that there are products and devices and he knows how to use them. But he pays the very high price of not knowing nor understanding them: so when they fail, modern man is often at a severe loss.
There is increasing evidence of the increasing occurrence and consequence of systems malfunction. The price of which is loss of life. Systems are designed to address occurred or predictable events, but even modern man is very far from designing systems that can protect us from the unknown, unknowable, and unpredictable.
WHERE’S THE CAVALRY?
So, where’s the 7th Cavalry of Risk Professionals coming to the rescue.
If you have followed me this far, you may have probably understood that I am not questioning technological products or devices. But, I do think that a few things can be done.
First, engineers should spend more time with the user of the product.
Second, the layman or user, should understand how to use technological products, whether it’s a consumer or industrial product.
An ultimate test may be to give the buyer a product with no instructions and see what happens. Can the person figure out how it works without a Youtube video showing how to unwrap it?
Wonder how we Italians would do?