During the EOTO Technology Timeline presentations, one that resonated with me was Hudson Nugent's presentation on the radio. Hudson described the way that radio served as an improved and advanced version of a prior communication device known as the telegraph. While the telegraph was a revolutionary development in the world of communication, it was very simple and basic in nature. The radio offered news streaming, entertainment, music, and more, all in the snap of a finger and from the comfort of one's own home.
Hudson also mentioned that an Italian inventor named Guglielmo Marconi was the first person to ever send radio waves over long distances. He did this through a multitude of experiments, the most notable of these being when he sent a radio signal across the Atlantic ocean in 1901. Experiments like these were happening simultaneously all across the globe, and Hudson mentioned how an American inventor named Nikola Tesla was also a part of this. She continued to talk about the next twenty years of history, and the introduction of radio broadcasting stations. The first of these in the United States was founded out of Pittsburgh in 1920, and was called KDKA. Stations like these broadcasted all sorts of subjects, including current events, educational topics, sports, music, home, and more.
In conclusion, although radios are not as popular as they used to be because of smartphones and computers, their presence is still seen in many areas of our everyday life, including in cars or emergency services. The radio also served as a technological stepping stone. With the invention of the radio came opportunity and possibility. At the time of its invention, it was revolutionary. The ability to stream news, music, or entertainment, at any time and from any distance to the source was a concept that seems impossible. From there, we were able to develop these communication technologies even further.
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