Amusing Ourselves to Death

Telegraphy gave a form of legitimacy to the idea of context-free information; that is, to the idea that the value of information need not be tied to any function it might serve in social and political decision-making and action, but may attach merely to its novelty, interest, and curiosity.

To the telegraph, intelligence meant knowing of lots of things, not knowing about them.

This is an instance in which the asking of the questions is sufficient. To ask is to break the spell.