DAVID HUGHES.
The history of radio does point to David Hughes' contribution, though he never received the credit he deserved.He is merely seen as one of several men to have added to the medium's history.
In the late 19th century it was clear to various scientists and experimenters that wireless communication was possible. The first was James Clerk Maxwell, a theoretical physicist who developed a set of equations describing electromagnetic waves. These later became known as Maxwell's equations.
Then, in 1872, William Henry Ward received US Patent 126,356 for radio development. However, this patent did not refer to any known scientific theory of electromagnetism and could never have received and transmitted radio waves.
Next was Mahlon Loomis.
A few months after Ward received his patent, Loomis of West Virginia received U.S. Patent 129,971 for a wireless telegraph in July 1872. This patent utilises atmospheric electricity to eliminate the overhead wire used by the existing telegraph systems. It did not contain diagrams or specific methods and it did not refer to or incorporate any known scientific theory.
Thomas Edison then experimented in 875 with the telegraph, but it was Hughes, in 1878, who was the first to claim to have transmitted and received radio waves when he noticed that his induction balance caused noise in the receiver of his homemade telephone.
He demonstrated his discovery to the Royal Society in 1880 but was told it was merely induction. His aim was not to communicate by radio and his equipment was not designed to do so.
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| Title Annotation: | Features |
|---|---|
| Publication: | Daily Post (Liverpool, England) |
| Date: | Dec 14, 2009 |
| Words: | 256 |
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