BELL

Author: Tian Zhansheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: Alexander Graham Bell was a teacher for the deaf. Bell's grandfather and father had dedicated their lives to the education of the deaf. Influenced by his family, Bell developed a strong interest in acoustics and linguistics from a young age. He once served as a professor of linguistics at Boston University in the United States. Initially, Bell's interest lay in studying telegraphs. During an experiment with telegraphs, he accidentally discovered that a piece of iron vibrated and produced a faint sound when placed near a magnet. This sound was transmitted through wires to a distant location. This inspired Bell greatly. He thought, if he spoke into the iron plate, causing it to vibrate, and placed a magnet wrapped with wires behind it, the current in the wires would fluctuate as the plate vibrated. These fluctuating currents, when transmitted to the other end, would drive the iron plate in front of the electromagnet to vibrate similarly, allowing sound to be transmitted from one place to another. This was the original concept behind Bell's invention of the telephone. Bell's idea for inventing the telephone was encouraged by the renowned American physicist Joseph Henry at the time. Henry told Bell, "You have a great idea for an invention—go for it!" When Bell mentioned his lack of knowledge in electricity, Henry said, "Learn it!" With this encouragement, Bell and his assistant Watson embarked on the arduous journey of designing the telephone. On June 2, 1875, Bell and Watson were in the final stages of designing and improving the model, and the moment for the final test had arrived. Watson was in another room, with doors and windows closed, placing his ear against the speaker to listen. During the final operation, Bell accidentally splashed sulfuric acid on his leg, and in pain, he shouted, "Mr. Watson, come help me!" Unbeknownst to him, this sentence was transmitted through his experimental telephone to Mr. Watson, who was working in another room. This seemingly ordinary sentence became the first to be recorded in history as a voice transmitted through a telephone. Through hard work and the right methods, Bell finally unlocked the gem that allowed people to communicate using electric currents. June 2, 1875, was celebrated as the great day of the invention of the telephone. The address 109 Court Street in Boston, Massachusetts, was also recorded in history. To this day, a bronze plaque is nailed to the entrance, inscribed with: "On June 2, 1875, the telephone was born here."