'Could Olympus affect your life?'.

Abstract

In 1989 the European Space Agency will launch the Olympus Communications Satellite, paid for by seven European nations and intended for experiment and demonstration. A number of the facilities will be offered free for a period of up to 5 years in order to stimulate new uses and services. Many of these will be highly technical, but there are several groups who have accepted the challenge with regard to the educational field and are now in the process of hammering out ground rules and creating experimental video material. The ability to interact with material has already changed the approach to devising teaching packages. What does satellite now offer, or not offer, and how might it affect the field of medical education? This paper does not seek to advise, it merely tries to present some 'food for thought'.