This is really insightful. Reminded me of the JBJ stuff on how visual information is under our control, and auditory is not, and the importance of that. Somewhat tangential to that point however.
Also reminds me of when I sit up and pay attention in a sermon because it got “HOT” and when its all anodyne stuff we know by rote and is “Cool”
If I told you about a piece of consumer electronics technology that:
- A billion+ people own and use every day
- Has changed those people and their world in some pretty radical and consequential ways
- Gets more important every year, but not much attention – and the little attention we give it is mostly a sideshow that misses the real story in plain sight:
I’d be talking about these.

Headphones, and the audio they hiss into our ears, changed everything. Our social values and instincts have changed because of headphones. Populism and politics have changed because of headphones. I think there’s even a case to be made that Donald Trump is president because of headphones.The audio revolution happened while everyone looked elsewhere.
The Basics of Information
To really understand the impact of audio, we need to go back to basics and understand how audio works as a medium, independent…
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