Yesteryear A Return to
W hat if we told you that the idea of telemedicine was first documented one hundred years ago? We’ve all had to adopt new technology during the pandemic. But while many of us dreaded being forced to undergo virtual visits, at least we
were not subjected to any pesky robot hands — like the 1925 proto- type — in the process. Though not as glamorous as Dr. Emmett Brown bringing Marty back to the future, this invention — while only a blueprint — played a
vital role in NASA and the US mili- tary. Often referred to as the “father of science fiction,” Hugo Gernsback, born August 1884, was the first to conceptualize the virtual medicine idea. He predicted that by 1975 the average American would undergo regular doctor visits through “Radio
Photo: Cover of the February, 1925 issue of “Science and Invention” magazine.
38 • AMAC Magazine
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