After the global revolution and prior to the great destruction much of the internet was preserved by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST). Sounds and visions from planet Earth were cherished on long excursions aboard Laurasia. Especially as a sleep aid, but also for entertainment. This - is Adam Ant.
Museum
Selections of art taken from Chris Lehrer's Lyceum under the heading: Window to the Past.
Listen to Soma FM streaming radio, a favorite of the space station Laurasia since the global revolution. You may or may not have to download the free Winamp or Real audio player.
Historia Vitae Magistra [Latin] - History, The Teacher Of Life
How potent a power, then, is the telegraphic destined to become in the civilization of the world! This binds together by a vital cord all the nations of the earth. It is impossible that old prejudices and hostilities should longer exist, while such an instrument has been created for an exchange of thought between all the nations of the earth. - Charles Briggs and Augustus Maverick; The Story of the Telegraph, 1858
From Smoke Signals to the Internet
Communication is the lifeblood of human society, the thread that connects ideas, cultures, and progress across time and space. From the earliest days of signaling with fire to today’s instantaneous digital exchanges, the tools we’ve developed to share information have shaped how we live, work, and understand the world. Each leap in communication technology has not only made the world smaller but also transformed economies, governments, and daily life. This article traces that journey through key innovations: the printing press, newspapers, telegraphs, telephones, radios, televisions, the film and recording industry, and the internet.
The Dawn of Mass Communication
In 1440, Johannes Gutenberg revolutionized communication with the movable-type printing press. Before this, books were laboriously copied by hand, making knowledge expensive and scarce. Gutenberg’s press mechanized the process, enabling the mass production of books, pamphlets, and eventually newspapers. This democratization of information fueled the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Scientific Revolution, empowering people with access to ideas once reserved for the elite. The printing press laid the foundation for a literate, informed society, setting the stage for future communication breakthroughs.
The Pulse of the Public
By the early 17th century, newspapers emerged as a natural extension of the printing press, delivering timely information to growing urban populations. The first true newspaper, Relation aller Fürnemmen und gedenckwürdigen Historien, was published in Strasbourg in 1605. Newspapers became the voice of the public, reporting on politics, trade, and local events. They fostered a sense of shared experience, knitting communities together through stories and debates. As literacy rates climbed, newspapers grew in influence, shaping public opinion and laying the groundwork for modern journalism.
Signals Across the Horizon
The word “telegraph,” derived from the Greek tele (distant) and graphein (writing), captures the essence of long-distance communication. Its cousin, “semaphore” (sema for sign, phoros for bearer), refers to signaling systems that convey messages visually or mechanically. These terms, coined in the 18th century, retroactively described practices as old as human society itself. Smoke signals, used by the Chinese, Indigenous Americans, and others, were early semaphores, as were the Ancient Greeks’ phryctoria (fire-based signals) and Egypt’s Lighthouse of Alexandria. These methods carried messages across vast distances long before electricity.
In 1792, Claude Chappe introduced the first modern semaphore telegraph in France, using pivoted arms to transmit coded messages across towers. This optical telegraph, alongside shutter systems that manipulated light, marked a leap in organized long-distance communication. Then came the electrical telegraph, with Samuel Morse’s 1844 demonstration sending the message “What hath God wrought?” from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore. Backed by Congress, Morse’s system outshone competitors, and by 1861, Western Union’s transcontinental telegraph linked the U.S. coast to coast. The telegraph shrank the world, enabling messages to travel in minutes rather than months. Governments used it for wartime coordination, businesses for trade, and newspapers for rapid reporting, proving predictions of the press’s demise wrong. Instead, the telegraph enhanced journalism, delivering news faster and creating jobs for skilled operators. It reigned until the telephone emerged in 1876.
The Voice of Connection
The telephone, patented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876, made communication intimate and immediate by transmitting voices across vast distances. Bell’s first words to his assistant, Thomas Watson—“Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you”—marked a new era. By the early 20th century, telephone networks connected homes, businesses, and governments, fostering relationships and enabling real-time negotiations. The telephone’s impact deepened with the advent of mobile and cellular phones. In 1973, Motorola’s Martin Cooper made the first handheld mobile phone call, and by the 1980s, cell phones began transforming communication again. Mobile phones untethered conversations from fixed lines, and smartphones, introduced with the iPhone in 2007, merged voice, text, and internet access into pocket-sized devices. Today, billions rely on cell phones for everything from social connections to global business, making them a cornerstone of modern communication.
Voices on the Airwaves
The late 19th century saw another breakthrough: radio. Guglielmo Marconi’s experiments in the 1890s led to the first wireless transmissions, freeing communication from physical wires. By the 1920s, commercial radio stations were broadcasting music, news, and entertainment to millions, creating shared cultural moments. Radio’s accessibility made it a lifeline during crises, like World War II, when it delivered updates and boosted morale.
Amateur “ham” radio, born in the early 20th century, empowered hobbyists to build their own transmitters and connect globally, often aiding in emergencies when other systems failed. By the 1970s, Citizen’s Band (CB) radio brought this spirit to the masses, particularly truckers, who used CB radios to coordinate routes, share road conditions, and build a vibrant subculture of slang (e.g., “10-4” for acknowledgment). Operating on 40 channels in the 27 MHz band, CB radios enabled short-range, license-free voice communication, making real-time exchange accessible to everyday people. Radio, in all its forms, gave voice to the airwaves, connecting communities in ways wires never could.
The World in Your Living Room
Television, emerging in the 1920s and gaining widespread popularity by the 1950s, added a visual dimension to communication. Pioneers like Philo Farnsworth and Vladimir Zworykin turned experimental broadcasts into a household staple. TV brought news, entertainment, and advertising into living rooms, shaping culture and politics. From the Kennedy-Nixon debates to the moon landing, television created shared global experiences, amplifying the power of visual storytelling. It wasn’t just a medium; it was a cultural force, influencing everything from fashion to public opinion.
Capturing Time and Sound
Parallel to radio and television, the film and recording industries transformed how we share stories and music. Thomas Edison’s phonograph in 1877 and the Lumière brothers’ cinematograph in 1895 laid the foundations. By the 20th century, Hollywood films and vinyl records were global phenomena, preserving performances for posterity. The recording industry democratized music, letting artists reach audiences worldwide, while films created immersive narratives that transcended language barriers. These industries didn’t just communicate—they evoked emotion, shaping cultural identities and memories.
The Ultimate Connection
The internet, born from 1960s research projects like ARPANET, redefined communication in the late 20th century. By the 1990s, the World Wide Web made information accessible to anyone with a modem, and email revolutionized personal and professional communication. Social media, starting with platforms like Friendster and MySpace, exploded with Facebook and Twitter (now X), enabling real-time global conversations. Today, the internet integrates text, voice, video, and data, connecting billions instantly. It’s a platform for innovation, activism, and commerce, but also a battleground for privacy and misinformation. The internet is the culmination of centuries of communication advancements, a tool as transformative as the printing press once was.
Summary: Communication advances drove progress but deepened divides. Technologies like the internet amplified voices yet marginalized the disconnected, embedding inequalities in access and influence.
Summary: From printing to digital platforms, communication innovations connected societies, balancing empowerment with challenges. Disparities persisted, but cultural and intellectual legacies enriched humanity.
Summary: Communication’s evolution, from signals to the internet, established order, preserving values through shared knowledge and connectivity, reflecting humanity’s pursuit of unity and progress.
Lyceum
Welcome to Space Station Laurasia! All passengers and crew members receive a personal device called a Lyceum, which serves as a journal to record and share information with family and friends via neutrionic mobile or desktop devices back on Earth’s surface. This is the Lyceum of Raymond Sheen.
Animations: Dragonset, Matters of Grave Concern, The Pillars of Barad-Dur, Heart of Stone, Golden Leaves, Gravity, and Dragons in Moonlight, by Steven David Bennett
Quo Vadis? [Latin] - Where Are You Going?
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who'll decide where to go. - Dr. Seuss
