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History Quote by Don DeLillo

“Spy planes, drone aircraft, satellites with cameras that can see from three hundred miles what you can see from a hundred feet. They see and they hear. Like ancient monks, you know, who recorded knowledge, wrote it painstakingly down. These systems collect and process. All the secret knowledge of…” quote by Don DeLillo
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““Spy planes, drone aircraft, satellites with cameras that can see from three hundred miles what you can see from a hundred feet. They see and they hear. Like ancient monks, you know, who recorded knowledge, wrote it painstakingly down. These systems collect and process. All the secret knowledge of the world.””

Don DeLillo

About This Quote

Source Novel: White Noise, 1985

Modern surveillance gathers vast data, turning global observation into a new form of collective knowledge.

In simple terms: Technology records everything like ancient monks.

Key Takeaway

Recognize how data shapes power and privacy.

Themes

surveillance technology knowledge privacy power

Mood

anxious critical

Type

cautionary reflective

When to use this quote

  • government monitoring
  • corporate data mining
  • personal privacy concerns
  • media analysis

Key Concepts

information theory panopticon data ethics

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does constant monitoring affect personal freedom?
  • What responsibilities come with such knowledge?
A Different Perspective

It can overlook human nuance and ethical limits.

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