Translation

Translation refers to the fact that technologies translate "one kind of knowledge into another mode."

Mechanization is translation in the sense that it is a translation of our faculties into specialized forms.

McLuhan asserts that humanity is actually translating itself into the form of information. By this he means that all our previous technological extensions will be translated into information systems. Physical goods can be organized using information retrieval and automation, and so information comes to govern the physical world. Because of this extension of physical labor in general, humanity as a whole will become more focused on information than on labor.

Examples

 * Spoken language allowed man to experience and understand his surroundings in a new way, quickly retrieving any experience at any time.