Technology allows humans to go beyond their own biological limits. Thanks to the discovery of electromagnetic waves, “we find ourselves present (whether actively or passively) in many places simultaneously, across land and sea, in every corner of the world,” writes Jesuit priest and paleontologist Teilhard de Chardin, in a book posthumously published in 1959. The World Wide Web is like an electronic nervous system that envelops the entire planet, serving as the forerunner of what American poet John Perry Barlow calls a “World Wide Brain,” wherein human brains combine and create a planetary consciousness. This “Noosphere,” as Tailhard calls it, is the premise required to find solutions to global challenges such as climate change, and to recognize and react to its corresponding consequences.
Drawn by Csenge Kindli, 2014.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
When Henrich Hertz discovered electromagnetic waves …
Text and images by Csenge Kindli
University of the Arts (UdK), Berlin
When Heinrich Hertz discovered electromagnetic waves…
…he never thought that later…
When Heinrich Hertz discovered electromagnetic waves…
…he never thought that later…
Drawn by Csenge Kindli , 2014. 
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
…through these waves, messages would be sent across oceans…
…through these waves, messages would be sent across oceans…
Drawn by Csenge Kindli , 2014. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
…the human body would be x-rayed…
…the human body would be x-rayed…
Drawn by Csenge Kindli , 2014. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
…metal objects would be located in the water…
…metal objects would be located in the water…
Drawn by Csenge Kindli , 2014. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
…sounds and images would be transmitted wirelessly…
…sounds and images would be transmitted wirelessly…
Drawn by Csenge Kindli , 2014. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
…phone calls would be made at any time and place…
…phone calls would be made at any time and place…
Drawn by Csenge Kindli , 2014. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
…not only on Earth, but also in space…
…not only on Earth, but also in space…
Drawn by Csenge Kindli , 2014. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
…and that people all over the world would be connected.
…and that people all over the world would be connected.
Drawn by Csenge Kindli , 2014. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Artist’s comment:
I knew nothing about electromagnetic waves prior to our project and thought that it would be difficult to come up with and illustrate a story about an invisible physical phenomenon. However, during my research, I found out that Heinrich Herz’s discovery had a huge impact on our world and that the topic was much more fascinating than I had initially thought.
How to cite
Kindli, Csenge. “Hertz: Electromagnetic Waves.” Environment & Society Portal, Multimedia Library, 2014. http://www.environmentandsociety.org/node/6629/.
The comic also appears in Alexandra Hamann, Reinhold Leinfelder, Helmuth Trischler, and Henning Wagenbreth, eds., Anthropozän – 30 Meilensteine auf dem Weg in ein neues Erdzeitalter. Eine Comic-Anthologie (Munich: Deutsches Museum, 2014).
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
