Mediology

Mediology is a term coined by Regis Debray to denote the study of how abstract ideas lead to concrete practices, laws, and customs. Regis Debray fought alongside Ernesto "Che" Guavera in the late 60's and was sentenced to 30 years in prison by a Bolivian war tribunal, but was released after three years and came back to France to found the discipline of Mediology. In his words Mediology is the study of "the black-box problem. If the input is sounds, words, letters, even photons, and the output is legislation, institutions, police forces, and so on, then inside the black box must be what I call 'the act of transmission,' the whole set of technologies."