

Right… so on to the telephone!
Bell and his assistant, Thomas A. Watson, developed this prototype: vibrations of varying intensity and frequency, caused by sound waves, would cause an electrical current on a thin soft iron plate called the diaphragm. The vibrations would then be transferred magnetically via a wire to another diaphragm in a different location. The original sound would be replicated in the new location through these vibrations. It uses the same concept as the ear itself, sound makes vibration, our brain interprets the vibration as words or music or anything! The first intelligible message the telephone carried was from Bell to his assistant, “Mr. Watson, come here, I need you.” (Fun Fact: Bell’s patent beat out Thomas A. Edison’s patent by only a few hours)Bell patented the invention and established the Bell Telephone Company which developed into the American Telephone and Telegraph, we know it as AT&T (raise your hand if you sang the jingle).
So there you have it! Now whenever you are rummaging through your bag to find your phone because you forgot to turn it off and it’s interrupting a movie you can thank Alexander Graham Bell! I’m just kidding, the phone is an amazing invention and has paved the way for so many incredible developments that have furthered the human race and our culture. Just to give an example of how much this invention has impacted my life, last week’s article on Shel Silverstein was written entirely on my blackberry because my computer was dead (yeah, my relationship with technology… it’s a thing). Course Bell didnt even want one in his office… hmmm. Logo photo by Justine Impressions http://www.justineimpressions.com/