Today in IP

Today in IP: On this day in 1878 patent #200,521 was issued to Thomas Edison for the phonograph. While Mr. Edison is best known for his advances in the light bulb they were just that, advances. Light bulbs already existed before Edison's although it was Edison's bulb that made them viable. In contrast, the phonograph was totally new. It was the first device that was able to record and playback sound. Before Edison's phonograph was invented people could not listen to music or a story unless they were physically present. Once Edison's phonograph became available people were amazed that they were able to listen to musical recordings that was performed earlier in time and in locations they had never been to. The science used for the phonograph continued to be widely used, with improvements, for over 100 years until the arrival of the compact disk (CD). So the next time you visit an antique museum see if you can find the phonograph and ask that it be played. Then try to imagine how you would feel if you were experiencing this for the first time. Truly for the people in Edison's day such a moment would be magical. If you enjoyed this fact please like it or +1 it on my social sites.

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