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Innovation at Home

Telephone

How would society survive without the telephone? And how did the evolution of the telephone evolve essentially from 2 tins and a piece of wire, to the global mobile phone network we have now?

Rachel & Melanie take you on an exciting journey of discoveries and failures of the evolution of the phone that includes travel into the space, in the journey of how we have telephones today. And in a world where there are more phones than there are people, what sort of strain does that put on our planet?

Key Events (to be updated)

  • 1854

    So close

    In an electrical telegraph shop in France, there was a telegraph engineer called Charles Bourseul. He created one of the first known designs for a telephone… but hadn’t worked out how to convert sound back so it could be understood

  • 1876

    First conversation

    The first known conversation on a telephone was on Friday the 10 of March 1876. Alexander Bell spoke into his telephone and said to his friend “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you.”

    1876

  • 1877

    It becomes clearer

    Thomas Edison developed the carbon transmitter which made the sound clearer

  • 1879

    The first ring

    Mr Thomas Watson developed the ring of a telephone

    1879

  • 1891

    Step by Step

    Almon Strowger – A Kansas city undertaker developed an ability to directly dial between two phones

  • 1965

    Launched into space

    First communication satellite launches into space

    1965

  • 1973

    Telephones go mobile

    First handheld mobile is demonstrated…. and mobile phone generations commence

UN Sustainable Development Goals

The concepts in this episode can link to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals

  • #9 Industries, Innovation & Infrastructure

Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

  • #12 Responsible Production and Consumption

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Challenge

Make a tin can phone

  • You will need 2 clean tin cans and a piece of string (although a this wire works better)
  • You will also need an adult’s assistance
Resources

This episode was researched and written by Rachel Brittliff

It was narrated by Rachel Brittliff & Melanie De Gioia. With special vocal appearance by Lily Brittliff.

Editing and Music design was by Melanie De Gioia.

Music was licensed from Audio Jungle/Envato

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