Heroes of Science

HEROES OF SCIENCE By President F. S. Harris and N. I. Butt, of the Brigham Young University 11. Bell Alexander Graham Bell is said to have received the most valuable single patent ever issued, — that of the telephone. Its value to man is partially seen when we think of the thousands of steps it saves and the inestimable amount of pleasure we derive from being able to step to the telephone and talk to friends or business associates who are miles away. In the United States alone about twenty billion conversations a year are carried on over wire telephones, and millions of people enjoy the entertainment of wire-less which is dependent upon the receiver invented by Bell. The discovery of the telephone is one of the many fascinating chapters in science. The story is usually started by a history of the boyhood of Bell because his entire life was a preparation for the discovery which he made. He was born in 1847 of a Scottish family which specialized in teaching the dumb to talk. Under such condi- tions the lad early became interested in what causes sound and just how speech is produced by the vocal organs. He and his brother were able to make a dog say "How are you, grandma," and to cause an imitation human head made from rubber say "mama" so dis- tinctly that neighbors thought it was a baby crying. As he grew up Bell prepared himself to follow the art of teaching the dumb to speak, learning what he could from his father and also studying in the University of Edinburgh and later, the University of London. He noticed, that in speaking vowels, musical sounds were produced by the voice. Upon learning that the famous scientist Helmholtz had analyzed sounds by means of tuning forks, and had built up voice sounds by electrically vibrated instruments, Bell com- menced to experiment with electricity. Being a thorough student he mastered many of the intricacies of electrical currents, and the more he learned the more he became convinced that the vibrations caused by musical instruments would prove useful for transmitting many telegraphic messages over a wire at once instead of one at a time, the most possible at that date. In 1870 Bell came to Canada with his father "and two years later he accepted a professorship in the University of Boston. At the latter place his interest in the transmission of musical sounds and even in transmitting the human voice by use of musical notes, increased greatly. He spent all his spare time in experimenting. A simple private laboratory was equipped for carrying on his experiments in the house where he was staying. Finally in order to have more time to

674 IMPROVEMENT ERA experiment he gave up teaching except for one or two private dumb students whom it was necessary to teach in order to make even a meager living. One day an interesting device for showing vibrations of the human voice came into Bell's hands and he tried to improve it so that it would be of use in teaching visual speech to his students. In talking with a physician about this device and also about his ex- periments on musical telegraphs, it was suggested that study of the human ear might prove helpful. The idea was eagerly accepted and the physician gave Bell such an ear to experiment upon. While watching the thin dead man's ear drum, so easily moving the relatively large bones of the ear or a heavy straw attached to it, Bell conceived the idea that the force of the vibrations of the human voice was great enough to operate mechanical devices for making and breaking currents of electricity. Here was a means for transmitting the human voice. It was a principle which would make possible the speaking telephone. At least two other men had thought of the same thing and yet failed to invent a satisfactory telephone. Patiently Bell continued to experiment. He was receiving a little financial aid for carrying on his experiments on the musical telegraph, but when he declared his intentions of making a talking telegraph he was told further aid would be denied. It appeared as though his experiments on the telephone must cease although he felt he was now about to succeed. Fortunately the young inventor was called to Washington to look after some of his patent rights just at this point, else he might have abandoned his experiments without discovering the telephone. While in the Capitol he called upon the great scientist, Henry, who was in charge of the Smithsonian Institute. Henry immediately saw that Bell was working on an epoch-making idea and encouraged him to stick to his purpose in spite of difficulties. This together with other advice given by Henry filled Bell with an unquenchable enthusiasm. Although, to keep the patronage of those who were helping him, he had to spend part of his time on the musical tele- graph, his heart was in the telephone. Within three months of the visit to Henry the twang of a spring was heard through the phone, and on March 10, 1876, about a year after the visit to Henry the human voice was transmitted over wire for the first time in the history of the world. But being able to transmit the voice over the wire was not enough to make the device a practical success. It required dozens of adjust- ments and changes in make-up before it would do much better than squeak and hiss the words out like a radio out of adjustment. A few months more of feverish tests perfected the device so it was deemed worthy of a patent. The telephone as patented by Bell was a very crude and imper-

HEROES OF SCIENCE 675 feet instrument. To bring it up to its present state of perfection has required over 8,000 additional patents. Bell's original telephone con- sisted of hardly more than a dozen different parts whereas today there are over a hundred parts. At present hundreds of scientific experi- menters are working every day trying to make the telephone a more dependable instrument. They have extended its use not only in the field of wire telephony but also to wireless telephony and tele- graphy including the loud speaker, to ear phones for the deaf, and to a great variety of scientific instruments in which it is necessary to hear minute sounds. But in spite of all the improvements which have been made since Bell sold his telephone patent rights, it is to him that the credit for the telephone belongs. He it was who for the first time combined our scientific knowledge of sound and electricity into a marvel of con- venience undreamed of half century ago. Provo, Utah Meditation The sun had set behind the western hills, And twilight deepened into night. When suddenly, beyond the waters blue, There shone a wond'rous brilliant light. At first I wondered what the light might be, But as it rounder, brighter grew, I knew that it was evening's lantern hung Up in the starry sky so blue. The moonbeams danced and sparkled on the lake, Like myriads of jewels there, And through the lacy pine boughs brightly gleamed Upon the cold, calm waters clear. The beauty of that quiet night had soothed My troubled mind to perfect rest; Brought back the story of that other night When wise men started on their quest. I seemed to hear sweet music as of old, When shepherds heard the angels sing, I silently sent up a heartfelt prayer, As did those humble servants to their King. And, lo, my heart was filled with love and joy And peace, good will, unto all men, I felt a longing for that future day When Christ shall come on earth again. Mesa, Arizona IDA R. ALLDREDGE.