For 119 years, society can not decide who invented the radio. The fact is that almost at the same time this brilliant discovery was made by several scientists from different countries. Alexander Popov, Guglielmo Marconi, Nikola Tesla, Heinrich Hertz, Ernest Rutherford - all these people are somehow connected with radio. It doesn't matter which of them was the first to have a brilliant idea, all scientists have made an invaluable contribution to the development of science.
Discovery of the electromagnetic field
If you ask a Russian and a European about who invented the radio, the answers will be completely different, the first will answer that it is Popov, and the second - Marconi. Who is right, in fact, and who is wrong? The concept of the electromagnetic field was introduced in 1845 by Michael Faraday, it was one of the most important discoveries of mankind. 20 years later, James Maxwell created the theory of the electromagnetic field and deduced all its laws. The scientist proved that electromagnetic radiation can propagate in space at the speed of light.
Hertz's Achievements
The opening of the radio took place largely thanks to Heinrich Hertz. This brilliant scientist in 1887 created a generator and a resonator of electromagnetic oscillations. Literally a year later, he demonstrated to the public the presence of electromagnetic waves propagating at the speed of light in free space. Some historians insist that Faraday, Maxwell and Hertz invented the radio. The first and second discovered the presence of electromagnetic waves, and Heinrich created the device.
The problem is that Hertz's design worked only at a distance of several meters from each other, only a spark was visible in the receiver, and even then in the dark. The device was not perfect and required improvement. It cost nothing to the brilliant engineer and experimenter to improve his invention. Unfortunately, Hertz died at the age of 37 in 1894, shortly before Marconi and Popov's discovery.
Similarity between Marconi and Popov's experiments
From a technical point of view, Popov and Marconi did not discover anything new, but only used the inventions of other scientists to create an improved device. Scientists added grounding and an antenna to Hertz's design, and for better signal reception they installed a coherer - a glass tube with metal filings inside. This device was invented by Edward Brangley and improved by Oliver Lodge. Scientists were not interested in the practical application of the coherer, but Marconi and Popov used it instead of a spark to turn on the bell. It turns out that the Russian and the Italian did the same thing, butwhich of them thought of this first is still unknown. Of course, in Russia they firmly believe that it was Popov who created the radio.
Popov's biography
Alexander Stepanovich Popov was born in the Urals on March 16, 1859 in the family of a priest. First, he graduated from the general education classes of the theological seminary, but since he was attracted to electronics, the young man went to St. Petersburg, where he entered the university at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics. At first he worked as an ordinary fitter, and in 1882 Popov wrote and defended his dissertation on dynamoelectric machines.
After graduating from the university, Alexander Stepanovich was preparing to receive a professorship. In 1883, the scientist began to teach in Kronstadt in the Mine officer class. In parallel, Popov conducted pedagogical work at the Technical School of the Maritime Department. After 8 years, Alexander Stepanovich was invited to the St. Petersburg Electrotechnical Institute to work as a professor at the Department of Physics. In 1905, Popov became the director of this institution. The great scientist died on January 13, 1906, the cause of his imminent death was a cerebral hemorrhage.
Popov's advantages
Alexander Stepanovich actively cooperated with the navy, and it was for the navy that he invented the radio. Popov was always interested in the experiments of Hertz, so in 1889 he gave a series of lectures with accompanying demonstrations on the topic of research on the relationship between electrical and light phenomena. The scientist hinted at meetings that this knowledge could be applied in practice thanaroused interest from the leadership of the navy.
Alexander Stepanovich can safely be called the first person in Russia who not only understood the value of Hertz's experiments, but also found practical application for them. On May 7, 1895, when Popov invented the radio and demonstrated the constructed device at a meeting of Russian physicists, nothing was known about Marconi's creation. It is May 7 in Russia that is considered to be the day of the creation of radio.
The whole of 1895 Popov devoted to improving the radio receiver, he conducted experiments on receiving and transmitting electromagnetic waves at a distance of 60 m. On January 20, 1897, the Russian scientist had to defend his right to the primacy of the invention. The article “Telegraphy without wires” appeared in the Kotlin newspaper, having learned about Marconi’s experiments, Popov wrote it. The first radio was invented by Alexander Stepanovich, he demonstrated it in the spring of 1895 and planned to continue working on its improvement, but he did not document his device in any way.
The principle of operation of the first radio receiver
Many inventors could not find application for their inventions, and only brilliant people with special abilities and extraordinary thinking can translate a scientific idea into reality, Alexander Popov belongs to such geniuses. The radio, created by the great scientist, consists of the discoveries of various engineers and physicists. So, Popov used a coherer as a conductor, he thought of using this device as a bell andsignal recorder. Alexander Stepanovich put together a coherer, a bell and an antenna, building a device for receiving waves and lightning discharges. With the help of a radio receiver, a scientist could transmit meaningful text with special signals.
Why is Marconi considered the father of radio in Europe?
Scientists still cannot agree on who invented the radio. Alexander Popov demonstrated his invention on May 7, 1895, and Guglielmo Marconi applied for a patent only in June 1896. At first glance, everything seems to be clear, the palm should be given to a Russian scientist, but not everything is so simple. The fact is that Popov did not seek to tell the general public about his research, but only informed a narrow circle of people about them - scientists and naval officers. He understood how important this work was for the motherland, so he was in no hurry with printed publications, doing the practical part.
Guglielmo Marconi grew up in a capitalist country, so he sought to consolidate not a historical or scientific priority, but a legal one. He did not initiate anyone into the course of the matter, but only when the invention was ready did he apply for a patent. Of course, history has nothing to do with the legal side, but still some historians side with Marconi. The patent was issued on July 2, 1897, that is, two years after Popov demonstrated his invention. Nevertheless, Marconi had a document confirming his priority, and the Russian scientist limited himself to printedpublication.
Achieving Americans
In 1943, the Americans intervened in the dispute about who invented the radio, because they also found a craftsman in their country who created the receiver. The United States was outraged by the fact that the first place is shared between Europeans and Russians, because it was their compatriot Nikola Tesla, a famous electrical engineer and scientist, who was the first to make such a great discovery. The veracity of this statement has been proven in court.
Tesla patented a radio transmitter in 1893, and a radio receiver two years later. The device of an American scientist could convert acoustic sound into a radio signal, transmit it, again converting it into acoustic sound. That is, it worked like modern devices. The designs of Popov and Marconi noticeably lose, because they could only transmit and receive radio signals with Morse code.
Who should give the palm to?
Which scientist was the first to invent the radio? The answer to this question is not so important, the main thing is that the best minds of mankind worked on the creation of a new device, invested their labor and knowledge in it. Marconi, Popov and Tesla are not related to each other in any way, they lived in different countries and even on different continents, so no one stole ideas from anyone. It turns out that the idea of creating a radio came to scientists at about the same time. This combination of circumstances once again confirmed Engels' law: if the time has come for a discovery, then someone will definitely make this discovery.
