Introduction -- Language. Language and the brain ; When did language begin? ; Ceremonies ; The art of remembering -- Drawing. First marks ; First drawings ; The first city ; First writing systems ; Drawings become sounds -- Writing. Early writing ; Holy texts ; Ancient China ; The Islamic Empire ; Medieval Europe ; The Americas -- Printing. The invention of printing ; The late 1400s in Europe ; The Reformation ; The rise of literacy in Europe ; The Renaissance -- Science. The Scientific Revolution ; Data ; Classifying knowledge ; Science: a collaboration over centuries -- News and newspapers. The news ; The rise of the public sphere ; The Age of Revolution ; Mass media ; The modern press ; Photography ; Intellectual property -- Networks. Mail ; The telegraph ; The telephone -- Broadcasts. The beginning of radio ; The radio age ; Television ; Through the looking glass -- Disinformation. Propaganda ; The Great War ; Nazism ; Advertising ; Public relations ; Modern propaganda -- Computers. How does a computer work? ; Theoretical computing ; Military computing ; Business computing ; Personal computing ; The Internet ; Mobile ; Going viral ; Big data ; Big Tech -- Out of control -- Social change -- Artificial Intelligence -- The mind.