About The Lost Signal

Hi there, I’m Alex Wright, a writer and designer exploring the intertwined histories of media, technology, and culture.

For years I’ve been drawn to the lesser-known stories that underpin our digital world: the forgotten people, inventions, and ideas that continue to shape how we think and communicate. Along the way, I’ve written a few books and articles for The New York Times, The Atlantic, Salon, The Believer, and the ACM, among others.

My forthcoming book, Empire of Ink (Basic Books, 2026), traces the invention of the American newspaper. My earlier books, Cataloging the World and Glut chronicled the lives of some of the forgotten forebears of the information age.

The Lost Signal continues that exploration. Every couple of weeks, I publish a new essay examining the history—and possible futures—of our connected world.

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