What do we find when we dig in the sands of history? What implications does history have for the present and immediate future? Alexander Kluge reveals unexpected connections by compiling texts and numerous images, for which he sometimes uses artificial intelligence as a 'virtual camera'. His image atlas allows him, on the one hand, to keep history alive, and on the other, to offer a subtle commentary on the present, without taking sides or making appeals, but with surprising insights. Sand is formed over thousands or even millions of years and is now one of the most sought-after raw materials. It is a component of concrete, and microchips are also made from quartz sand or the silicon extracted from it. Such microchips are not only installed in smartphones and laptops, but also in drones, among other things, and are used in the fields of automation and artificial intelligence. For the present, this can mean: In war, drones destroy buildings and roads in a matter of seconds, leaving only dust and sand behind. Sand so finely ground, however, that it is now unsuitable for life and as a raw material.