The invention of the radio occurred during a turbulent scientific and technological revolution. Along with several other innovations, wireless communication has become a major milestone in overall human progress, influencing both the technological landscape
peace, and on the socio-economic, giving humanity new opportunities.
Wireless background
The first step that predetermined the invention of the radio was the discovery in 1883 by Thomas Edison of the effect of spraying a substance from the filament of a light bulb. The inventor noticed that a positive voltage applied to the electrode produces a current in vacuum between the filament and the electrode. That is, he first discovered that the current can be transmitted through the external environment, without the help of conductors. This process has been called the "Edison effect". In 1868, the American scientist Mahlon Loomis first created a prototype of wireless communication. In fact, this was a system of transmitting and receiving antennas, 22 km long. However, it was too cumbersome and was not yet a full-fledged line. To create a full-fledged wireless connection, you need
it was yet to learn how to use the natural electricity of the atmosphere fortransmission of information over distances. Important for the subsequent technical novelty was the creation by James Maxwell in 1865 of the theory of the electromagnetic field, on which both Alexander Popov and Guglielmo Marconi relied. However, at that time it was still just an assumption, not accepted by everyone. The theory of electromagnetic waves was practically confirmed when, in 1887, Heinrich Hertz revealed to the world his generator and resonator of electromagnetic oscillations. The work of these physicists became an important foundation for the last step in the creation of the device, they all share the invention of radio to some extent. Another thing is that all these attempts were just laboratory experiments and were not brought to their logical conclusion.
The invention of radio: so who was the first?
In our country, it is traditionally believed that the right of the discoverer belongs to Alexander Popov. However, in the West you will be told that it was the Italian Guglielmo Marconi who invented the radio. Both of these scientists almost simultaneously
improved Hertz's device. And even the technical solution they had was almost the same. Both of them added grounding and an antenna to the device, as well as the so-called coherer - a glass tube that acted as a resistor, the resistance at the ends of which took only extreme values \u200b\u200band carried out commands to turn the device on and off. In 1895 Popov announced the invention of the radio. The presentation took place on May 7 at the Russian Physical and Chemical Society. And in the spring of the same year, Marconi conducts an identical experiment, but the firstmanages to apply for a patent for the invention. Thus, the invention of radio is difficult to give unequivocally to one person, it was the result of a long development of the theory of electromagnetic waves and its almost simultaneous implementation in practice.
