Evolution of Communication and Media

The Evolution of Traditional to New Era

• The presentation covers the evolution of communication and media, from pre-historic times to the present information era.
• Different eras are presented, each with its own forms of communication, including pre-historic, ancient, industrial, and information eras.
• Pre-historic era: This spanned from 200,000 BCE to 4,000 BCE. Communication took the form of art like petroglyphs (carvings on rocks) and pictographs (pictures representing words or concepts).

Pre-Historic Art

• Petroglyphs were created by removing part of a rock surface through carving or incising.
• They are considered rock art, dating back 7,000–9,000 years ago.
• Ideologies and meanings likely varied by location and time period.
• Carvings and engravings in rocks and caves are examples of petroglyphs.
• Pictographs represent words or phrases through images or symbols.
• They often depict nature, reflecting the early peoples' environment.

Cave Paintings

• Also known as "Parietal Art," cave paintings are painted drawings on walls or ceilings of caves.
• These paintings often depict animals, providing insight into prehistoric culture.
• A theory suggests they are connected to rituals performed by Paleolithic shamans.

Dance

• Dance was a fundamental part of temple rituals in many early civilizations.
• Cave paintings from 9,000 years ago depict hunting and communal scenes.

Body Art

• Body art is a form of social, spiritual, and personal expression.
  • This can include tattoos, body painting, or other forms of adornment.
  • It often played a crucial role in cultural rites of passage, rituals, and ceremonies.

Ancient Era

• Writing emerged as a way to translate spoken language into a physical form.
  • This era spanned from 3000 BCE to 100 CE.
  • The emergence of writing is evident in different forms such as cuneiform script and hieroglyphs.
• Cuneiform script was a writing system.
  • It used wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets.
  • This dates back to at least 3200 BCE, and is one of the first known systems of writing.
• Hieroglyphs was another early writing system.
  • Hieroglyphs were an Egyptian writing system.
  • It combined ideographic and alphabetic elements.
  • Egyptians used hieroglyphs for religious articles on papyrus and wooden surfaces.

Alphabet

• Alphabets represent the sounds of a language using characters in a specific order.
• The Phoenician Alphabet (sometimes called Proto-Canaanite) is widely considered the oldest confirmed alphabet. (older than 1050 BCE).
• It comprised of 22 letters, which were mainly consonants.
• It spread through trade, becoming a widely adopted writing system.
• Its usage helped develop other alphabet systems.

Drama

• Drama is a narrative form frequently fictional, presented in performance.
• Western drama originated in classical Greece.
• Notable genres include tragedy, comedy, and satyr plays.

Paper

• The word "paper" is derived from "papyrus".
• Papyrus was a paper-like material made from the Cyperus papyrus plant.
• Egyptians used papyrus extensively.
• Paper became a widespread writing material in other Mediterranean cultures long before its development in China.

Industrial Era

• This era (1440-1890) saw major industrialization and innovation.
  • Innovations like the printing press were crucial.
• Industrial cities emerged, featuring numerous factories.
• The printing press was pivotal for large-scale content production.
  • It was an apparatus that exerted pressure on an inked surface, which then transferred ink to a surface like paper.
  • Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1439 in Strasbourg.
  • The Gutenberg press was a revolutionary innovation and was commercially used by 1450
  • The press's operation included using a long handled wooden screw to exert pressure.
    • They could print around 250 sheets per hour.
• Key inventions like dry plates were also developed, which advanced photography.

Telegraphy

• Telegraphy enabled long-distance communication via textual or symbolic messages without the exchange of tangible objects.
• It was derived from Greek words, "tele" (distance) and "graphein" (to write).
• Morse code, used with the telegraph, played a significant role.
  • A sequence of dots and dashes represented words and numbers.
• A telegraph machine could receive messages and display them in Morse code form.
  • The message was often deciphered by telegraph operators and then translated into English
• Samuel Morse developed a code for telegraph communication.
  • This involved assigned symbols (sequences of dots and dashes) to each letter of the alphabet.
• Early telegraph systems utilized electrical technology for the movement of messages over long distances.

Telephone

• Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone during the Second Industrial Revolution.
• Experiments centered on human speech and technology for capturing and transmitting sounds.
• Crucial for communicating across distances.

Phonograph

• A phonograph or gramophone is a device designed for recording and reproducing sound.
• The device recorded sound signals as physical traces (deviations).
• The playback mechanism converted these traces back into sound.

Film

• Film is a sequence of images, projected to create the illusion of motion.
• The first film recorded actual consecutive action.
• This made its debut in the 1890s.
• Motion Picture cameras were first invented in this time period.

Information Era

• This era (1906-present) emphasizes the acquisition and use of data for specific purposes.
• Information is crucial in modern life.
  • It enhances understanding of the world.

Radio

• Radio is a technology using radio waves to transfer information, such as sound or other forms of data.
  • Electromagnetic energy waves carry messages through space.
• Early uses involved telegraphic messages, often using Morse Code.
  • The sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912 showcased the critical use of early radio technologies for communications
  • During this era, the Radio became another important communication tool worldwide.

Television

• Television conveys sound and moving images through transmission.
• It evolved from monochrome to color broadcasting.
• Initially, television became available in basic forms in the late 1920s.
• It became a key tool for communication after the Second World War.
• John Logie Baird and Philo T. Farnsworth were critical figures in the development of early television technologies

Personal Computers

• Personal computers (PCs) are general-purpose computers designed for individual use.
• The earliest personal computer was developed and released in 1970.
• Key components include a Central Processing Unit (CPU), memory, and input/output ports.

Mobile Phones

• Mobile phones provide portable telephone services using radio frequency carriers.
• Early forms of mobile phone services often utilized cellular networks.
• Early mobile telephones became commercial products in 1983, with the Motorola DynaTAC 800 being one of the earliest versions sold.
• Cellular systems provided improved communication worldwide.

Internet

• The internet is a worldwide network of interconnected computer systems.
  • It uses the Internet protocol suite for transmission.
• It connects billions of devices globally.
• People use the internet to access information, communicate, manage finances, and pursue other interests.

Media Roles

• Media plays several crucial roles in society.
  • Entertainment
  • Catalyst for imagination
  • Escape from everyday life
  • Source of information and education
  • Means of monitoring institutions (government, business)
• This can help people's opinions and understand important issues in the world
  • However, media can be influenced by bias or agendas.

Theories on Information and Media

1. Allocution: One party controls information.
2. Character Theory: Analyzing characters in media.

This quiz explores the evolution of communication from pre-historic times to the modern information era. Learn about different eras of communication, including ancient art forms such as petroglyphs and pictographs that laid the groundwork for human expression. Test your knowledge of the historical significance of these forms of media.