There was a science report on NPR this morning that's worth thinking about, I think. Reporter Robert Krulwich wondered do tools, materials, clothing actually completely ever die.You can listen to the report here: http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2011/02/01/133188723/tools-never-die-waddaya-mean-never
He found a community still making paleolithic stone tools. He found a place to buy virtually every item in the 1895 Montgomery Ward catalog. Scientist Kevin Kelly said:
"I say there is no species of technology that have ever gone globally extinct on this planet."
I think about this in light of two things. One, the affectation of new media gurus who have variously claimed: marketing is dead, advertising is dead, TV is dead, print is dead, radio is dead and so on. And Two, the new data that shows Facebook is virtually useless as an advertising medium--clicks through rate is 0.051. If I'm reading that right, that's five clicks per thousand impressions. http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/digital/e3i3526b9ba6837828c88f374604a45b9a6
Everything that was ever made in the past is somewhere being made in the world today. Though maybe Facebook will be the first to belie that assertion.
