Yes, anything is possible.
Ah, blanket hand-waving statements...
No, in the first instance I do not think high tech is hidden in low tech, in the second I don't think retrotech is a 'style' it really is low tech. It only looks retrotech to us, because to us it really would be 'retrotech'.
Yet it appears to be a part of the 'mythology' of the Imperium... the use of servitor skulls, much of the imagery around the Inquisition, etc.
'is it a viable concept that the Catholic Church in their worship of God does no merely conform to efficient designs but might include variants as a form of votive offering?' Which doesn't make much sense to me.
Partially because of the 'catholic church' concept. I don't think that's a viable direct analogy for the
adeptus ministorum let alone the
adeptus mechanicus... You seem most obviously to be of the "Adeptus Me-can't-icus" approach, which defines that the
adeptus mechanicus blindly worships technology without understanding that technology. I've never seen this as entirely plausible, more so especially giving the origins of the
adeptus mechanicus, but rather apply both the above "Adeptus Me-can't-icus" and add in components of the "Adeptus Me-can-icus" argument. That is to say that the
adeptus mechanicus was not formed from a bunch of bimbling, drooling idiots, but rather a "technoautocracy"; a large but fine number of 'adepts' who understood technology and its application and used said understanding to maintain the supposedly 'failing' machinery of Mars. Thus the genesis of the
adeptus mechanicus... an understanding 'elite' with an expanding base of those who do not necessarily understand the 'great secrets'. Put another way, you get a ritualised system of 'knowledge' limited by position within the hierarchy such that both concepts ("can't" and "can") are included... (As well as the omnipresent concept of human nature and maintenance of power.)
Makes a whole lot more sense to me, including the genesis of the
adeptus mechanicus, rather than the concept that they are in essence a bunch of monkeys trying to reproduce Shakespeare (to pararallel Douglas Adams)... that in the mysterious breakdown of 'terraforming systems' that the scientists and engineers mysteriously disappeared leaving only those individuals with no knowledge of technology (regardless of any arguments regarding STC).
And for me it also makes the whole "Omnissiah" gig a bit more plausible...
So, trying to wade through the various implications of a 'catholic'
adeptus mechanicus...
a) Are you asking if their worship not only conforms to an /efficient design?/, but there are variations in how they worship which are votive?
The act of acquisition of scientific and technological knowledge brings an adept of the
adeptus mechanicus closer to the "Machine God" that, for me, is an assumed construct in the early history of the
adeptus mechanicus by the 'elite' rather than a true and structured faith. The Emperor was viewed as the 'Omnissiah' because he "understood so much" and, therefore, was 'closer' to the Machine God. Perception of knowledge as the fulcrum around which 'indoctrinised faith' revolves allows for the concept that varied application of technology to achieve an end - the understanding of various means to achieve an end - is an exploration of knowledge and, therefore, of the Machine God.
Thus in this it becomes possible - through a tiny bit of hand-waving - that 'inefficient' designs are perpetuated through the Imperium, or at least on a local scale, due to the preferences of those outside the
adeptus mechanicus... Possible, but not entirely likely admittedly. However, it does give rise to another plausible reason by which Forgeworlds might allow for a complete collage of technologies: fusion power plants on one hand, steam trains on the other. All are acts of 'worship' of the Machine God.
Only problem that some people might have is it does not strictly conform to the idea that all technological knowledge derives entirely from STC, a feature which is stated in the 'fluff' but numerously contradicted... and also much more plausible explainable in a more 'technologically diffuse' universe which itself is plausible given the fact that worlds in the Age of Strife are allowed their own "social histories".
Are you saying the Adeptus Mechanicus use efficient designs, but if several designs are possible one design may be chosen over another which matches closet to their ideals (and vows) of what the machine god wants, or that they are very 'religious' and use divination to determine which to use?
See the above... Quickly, the answer would be that each 'variation' of a design (muscle power, steam location, internal combustion, fuel cells, radioisotope nuclear power units, fission and fusion, etc.) are each an act of 'worship' (as roughly defined above) and that the preferred technology might be adopted by a world(s) and thus perpetuate that given technology despite the presence of more efficient designs... Somewhat reminiscent of 'follies', at least in some ways.
Of course, this was only a parallel issue. What still remains a core issue is obfuscation: obfuscation of understanding their a hierarchal and ritualised structure utilised as a means of maintaining the status of a "technoautocracy" (parallel issue); the use of ritualised forms to obfuscate true practice (i.e. "The Ritual of Laying on the Hammer"
); and, of course, a means of hiding the true technological abilities of the
adeptus mechanicus.
I get the impression that the Adeptus Mechanicus do know what they are doing, but they are also holding back a lot of technology.
Okay, perhaps not the "Adeptus Me-can't-icus" approach after all. Apologies for the sweeing assumption.
If the Iron Men caused so many problems is the past, the Adeptus Mechanicus may be keeping the knowledge of how to construct Iron Men and AI to themselves in order to stop past mistakes from being repeated.
<grin> Seems like an underhanded attempt to swing this over to a discussion of the potential of 'robots' in the 40k universe...
But I would say that many advanced technologies are held as 'restricted' by the
adeptus mechanicus and, indeed, the Imperium itself. (E.g. the Imperium would sensibly maintain the most advanced weapons, propulsion, sensors, etc., for their ships than those permitted to be produced elsewhere outside of
adeptus mechanicus franchise.)
Perhaps they take the view that humans in general can't handle advanced technology responsibly.
I personally would not place such a benign aspect on the
adeptus mechanicus. They are, after all, mostly human... and human in many ways transcends machine.
(This is just a hokey way of saying that I prefer a more selfish and self-serving
adeptus mechanicus.)
Looking at our modern world scientists are more interested in 'can they' rather than 'should they'.
Actually, that's more of a sweeping generalisation than anything... Scientists are fully capable of understanding the moral implications of their creations. It's whether they
agree with the morality in question, I would imagine...
I think they would purge what they consider to be 'dangerous technology' from all worlds within the Imperium.
That they act to moderate advanced technologies is, for me, unquestioned though I would ascribe (again) more selfish reasons for it.
I think 40K has a 'retrotech' feel because the Adeptus Mechanicus remove as much technology as possible, leavening humans only the bare minimum of what they need.
<grin> Take away the majority of the forcefields and give them lasweapons, fusion guns and plasma weapons?
Leave them with cybernetics, but remove computers?
It may be the Adeptus Mechanicus are actually fearful of machines, much like people fear god.
Interesting perspective but, alas, not for me... Or at least, not
all of the
adeptus mechanicus which, to follow your style, is reasoned out above.
I think the low tech elements really are 'low tech', for reasons outlined above. A scroll is a scroll.
But give them a 'data slate' and everything's okay? It's just that instead of a flexible screen we'll just utilise the same rough technology in a non-flexible screen?
(And, again, I remind you that the 'scroll' was just an example to illustrate the concept...)