Art of the Problem | Information Theory: Birth of Writing (2012)

From mysterious handprints to pictograms, discover how humans first turned thoughts into written symbols. Journey back 50,000 years to witness the invention that changed everything - the birth of human writing.

00:00 - The Cultural Explosion (50,000 Years Ago)

02:15 - First Human Markings: Hand Prints

04:30 - Cave Art: The Universal Language

06:45 - Birth of Pictograms and Ideograms

08:30 - Early Clay Tablets: Proto-Writing

10:45 - The Rebus Principle: Sounds Become Symbols

12:30 - The Dawn of True Writing

Art of the Problem