The Envelope, Please
Five technologies that changed the world
1. Television
Television is much less important for what it does than for what it shows us. As our viewing choices have expanded from three to 300 channels, this window-on-the-world has reshaped and redefined our culture as no other medium could. Television waves enter our homes for free and allow completely passive viewers to absorb endless hours of mindless crap, but also news and information that have ripped down the barricades of power. Communism was unable to continue in a world with television. Nightly images of the grueling battlefields of Vietnam helped end that war, while pictures of refugees streaming out of Kosovo rendered another war politically feasible. And what knowledge and experiences television has brought us -- from the moon landing to the Columbine incident -- live and direct in our dens and bedrooms.
Now Trending
-
Voice Places
Find everything you're looking for in your city
-
Happy Hour App
Find the best happy hour deals in your city
-
Daily Deals
Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%
-
Best Of...
Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city
- Profile
- Newsletters
- Mobile
- Logout
-
Publishing:
ONOFF
