PODCAST:  How pornography shaped human history and gave us the modern mass media

The cover of The Erotic Engine

Bill Gates and Steve Jobs may get all the attention, but throughout history many of the most momentous communication innovations came to us from the pioneers of porn.  PayPal, cable TV and YouTube may never have gone mainstream if it weren't for our interest in the dark and dirty.

The Erotic Engine, a new book by author Patchen Barss, looks at how pornography and human sexuality have shaped the way we have communicated for thousands of years. Whether it's films on tape or streaming video on the Internet, porn has consistently been ahead of the curve in investing in new technology.

Patchen Barss, author of The Erotic Engine

Capital News Online reporter Alyssa O'Dell spoke with Barss about what makes pornography such a driving force in the way we interact with each other.