Other forms of early telecommunications include relay fires or beacons.
Used foremostly in warfare, relay fires required a handful of men
posted along a range of hilltops, with the last man closest to the area
where troop movement was expected. When armies were spotted in the
distance, he would light a bonfire. The fire could be seen from a good
distance away by the next man in the relay, who would in turn light his
own bonfire, and so the fires were lit in succession along the range,
creating an effective telecommunications signal that traveled back over
several miles in a relatively short period of time. Finally, the last
man in the relay would light a beacon to signal his army below that the
opponent was en-route.
The arrangement of a ship's flags and semaphores were other forms of telecommunications. A semaphore was a mechanical device atop a tower with paddle-like blades or flags. The device would be set in a specific position to communicate information.
Throughout the 19th century, telecommunications devices became more sophisticated with the advent of electricity, leading to the telegraph, Morse code, and signal lamps. A signal lamp, the optical version of the telegraph, is a powerful lamp with shutters that block the light in long or short durations to translate to the dots and dashes of Morse code. A heliograph is another optical telegraph -- a mirror used to reflect light to mimic a signal lamp.
In the 20th century, telecommunications reached beyond our planet. In June 1969, the world watched and listened as astronauts walked on the moon. Twenty years later, in August 1989, we would see pictures of Neptune arrive back from the Voyager 2 spacecraft, riding radio waves that traveled over roughly three billion miles (4.8 billion km) to reach us in a matter of a few hours.
Strides in telecommunications have changed the world immeasurably. While pockets of humankind were once isolated from each other, people now have multiple ways to see and hear what is occurring on the other side of the world in real time. Satellite technology, television, the Internet and telephony keep the globe connected in a humming buzz of interactive voices and pictures. In short, telecommunications has come a long way from smoke signals.
The arrangement of a ship's flags and semaphores were other forms of telecommunications. A semaphore was a mechanical device atop a tower with paddle-like blades or flags. The device would be set in a specific position to communicate information.
Throughout the 19th century, telecommunications devices became more sophisticated with the advent of electricity, leading to the telegraph, Morse code, and signal lamps. A signal lamp, the optical version of the telegraph, is a powerful lamp with shutters that block the light in long or short durations to translate to the dots and dashes of Morse code. A heliograph is another optical telegraph -- a mirror used to reflect light to mimic a signal lamp.
In the 20th century, telecommunications reached beyond our planet. In June 1969, the world watched and listened as astronauts walked on the moon. Twenty years later, in August 1989, we would see pictures of Neptune arrive back from the Voyager 2 spacecraft, riding radio waves that traveled over roughly three billion miles (4.8 billion km) to reach us in a matter of a few hours.
Strides in telecommunications have changed the world immeasurably. While pockets of humankind were once isolated from each other, people now have multiple ways to see and hear what is occurring on the other side of the world in real time. Satellite technology, television, the Internet and telephony keep the globe connected in a humming buzz of interactive voices and pictures. In short, telecommunications has come a long way from smoke signals.
