Pages - Menu

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Email In The 18th Century: The Optical Telegraph

image credit

More than 200 years ago it was already possible to send messages throughout Europe and America at the speed of an aeroplane - wireless and without need for electricity. Email leaves all other communication systems far behind in terms of speed. But the principle of the technology - forwarding coded messages over long distances - is nothing new.

It has its origins in the use of plumes of smoke, fire signals and drums, thousands of years ago. Coded long distance communication also formed the basis of a remarkable but largely forgotten communications network that prepared the arrival of the internet: the optical telegraph.

(thanks Stanley)

Another Article

No comments:

Post a Comment