For most of human history, humanity lived in small communities of no more than 150 people. Information was transmitted peer-to-peer. You knew the people in your tribe, and that was all. Over time, through a combination of evolution, technology, and climate changes, we began moving into cities and organizing ourselves into increasingly larger groupings.
In these local communities, you might occasionally hear stories of distant places, but for most people, their experiences were confined to their immediate surroundings. Information was largely localized—what you knew came from the collective experience of those around you, with rare input from outsiders. Your beliefs were shaped by your immediate circle, as alternative perspectives were limited.
Writing Changes Everything (~10,000 BCE)
Writing emerged as a transformative tool. For the first time, humans could accurately pass information across generations. Yet access to this new reservoir of knowledge was limited. Only a select few could read or write, and those who controlled this knowledge—governments and religious institutions—filtered it based on their context and motives.
Information flowed hierarchically: from leaders, through intermediaries, to individuals. Due to low literacy rates and scarce availability of writings, information traveled slowly. For example, if a war broke out, news might take months to reach its destination. In this world, the information you consumed was what existed around you, supplemented by the filtered knowledge passed down from leaders.
The Printing Press Revolution (1450 CE)
The printing press shattered these constraints, enabling information to flow more rapidly between individuals. For the first time, books and ideas became accessible to broader audiences. While governments and religious institutions still exerted control over what could be printed, new concepts and ideologies began to flourish.
This shift was monumental: the Catholic Church lost its monopoly over Western thought, and individuals started questioning established norms. However, the bulk of information remained regulated. You consumed knowledge from your immediate environment, your local government or church, and approved books—a significant expansion, but still controlled.
Radio and Television: The Global Stage
With the advent of radio and television, information flow became global and instantaneous. Ideas could now spread across the world in real-time, connecting billions. These technologies fundamentally altered how societies interacted with information by making it more immediate, impactful, and widely distributed. Political speeches, major events, and cultural moments could be broadcast directly into people’s homes, fostering a sense of shared experience on an unprecedented scale.
Radio revolutionized how wars were fought and perceived. For example, during World War II, governments used radio for propaganda, while ordinary people relied on it for updates on the conflict. Similarly, television became a critical tool for shaping public opinion during significant events like the civil rights movement and the moon landing, bringing these moments vividly to life.
Yet again, institutions acted as arbiters, controlling what was broadcast for reasons ranging from public interest to propaganda. While the immediacy of radio and television allowed for faster dissemination of information, the content was still curated by editors and gatekeepers, ensuring that narratives aligned with institutional priorities. The information you consumed now included local sources, government or religious narratives, and curated mass media content—a mix that set the stage for modern media ecosystems.
The Internet: A Paradigm Shift
Then came the internet. Suddenly, information was nearly unlimited, and its creation equally boundless. Humans, for the first time in history, had instant access to almost every other human on the planet. Ideas could flow at the speed of light, and a single concept could reach nearly the entire world in a day.
This unprecedented connectivity birthed new industries, raised living standards, and accelerated technological innovation. But with this free flow of information, humanity lost its traditional arbiters—the gatekeepers who once filtered and curated what we consumed.
Unlike radio or television, where misinformation was curtailed by oversight, the internet’s design prioritized freedom of information over quality or accuracy. Humanity had not developed the skills to self-filter this flood of data. For most of our existence, we relied on institutions—governments, churches, academic bodies—to judge the veracity of information.
Enter PageRank: The Algorithm That Changed Everything
The original Google PageRank algorithm, developed by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in the late 1990s, was revolutionary. It ranked web pages based on their importance and relevance, using backlinks as a proxy. Put simply, the more people “talked” about a page through links, the more important Google deemed it.
This system was highly effective for organizing the web but also introduced profound changes. The concept of “how many people are talking about this” became the foundation for filtering information online. Social media platforms later adopted similar algorithms, amplifying the voices of those who could generate the most engagement—whether human or bot-driven.
The Consequences of Infinite Choice
The internet’s vastness presents infinite choices of what to believe. Our ability to self-filter is limited by history, education, intellect, and experiences. With so much information, we often outsource filtering to others. Religion, political parties, schools, Google, and social media act as our modern gatekeepers.
PageRank’s emphasis on popularity—how many are “talking” about something—dictates what you see. What you see influences what you think. And because humans tend not to rigorously fact-check claims, the truth becomes secondary to visibility. Misinformation thrives, amplified by the very algorithms designed to organize the web.
The Rise of Tribalism in the Digital Age
Without traditional arbiters, humans began reverting to tribal instincts. But these tribes are no longer defined by geography. They are groups united by shared ideas and concepts, often insulated from opposing views. Algorithms reinforce these bubbles, showing you content that aligns with your existing beliefs.
This shift has fragmented society, eroded trust in shared truths, and enabled misinformation to thrive. The lack of universal arbiters leaves individuals to navigate a chaotic information landscape, often ill-equipped to separate fact from fiction.
Conclusion: Where Do We Go from Here?
PageRank and similar algorithms were built to solve a problem: organizing the overwhelming amount of information on the internet. But in doing so, they created new challenges. As arbiters of truth disappeared, humanity was left to navigate a sea of data, struggling to discern fact from fiction.
To rebuild trust and mitigate these challenges, we must develop tools and skills to critically evaluate information. Whether through education, improved algorithms, or decentralized systems of trust, society must adapt to the realities of infinite information—lest we remain trapped in a world where PageRank’s unintended consequences continue to shape our reality.
Global Macro 