From Big Bang to Big Data: A History of the Media

The book "From Big Bang to Big Data" explores the long history of media, from its origins in the Big Bang to the present day, highlighting the continuities and overlaps between different media forms and their impact on society. It emphasizes that media is not just a story of revolutions and innovations but of continuities and overlaps that reveal surprising patterns across history. The book is accompanied by over one hundred illustrations and offers a new perspective on media in history, and on human societies past and present.

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 15 January 2023
Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press

More than just newspapers, television, and social networks, media are the means by which any information is communicated, from cosmic radiation traces to medieval church bells to modern identity documents. Cultures are held together as much by bookkeeping and records as they are by stories and myths.

From Big Bang to Big Data: A Long History of the Media is a comprehensive exploration of the media's evolution from the dawn of recorded time to the present. It goes beyond the narrative of revolutions and innovations, revealing surprising patterns of continuity and overlap throughout history. While many media were initially conceived as tools for storing and sharing information, they have also played a crucial role in governance and control. The concerns raised about media today, such as privacy, piracy, and anxieties over declining cultural standards, have echoed throughout previous generations.

In a playful and visually captivating style, accompanied by over one hundred illustrations, the authors demonstrate how every society has been a media society in its unique way. From ancient graffiti to recent viral YouTube clips, media has been the gateway to understanding the past.

By offering a fresh perspective on media history, From Big Bang to Big Data sheds light on the past and present of human societies. It challenges our assumptions about the role of media in shaping our world and encourages us to consider the complex interplay between technology, culture, and society. This book is a valuable resource for scholars, students, and anyone interested in the history and future of media.

Dimension: 254 x 178 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780228014263