EOTO - Invention of the Telephone

 

Everyone knows what a telephone is. In fact, I bet everyone is fully aware that the world would not be what it is now if it wasn’t for the telephone. Although it is an essential part of our day-to-day life, have you ever thought about the origins of this life changing creation? 

In case you don’t know what a telephone is, the definition, according to Britannica, is “an instrument designed for the simultaneous transmission  and reception of the human voice”. 

So, where did this groundbreaking idea originate from?

Believe it or not, the history of the telephone, according to Elon University, dates all the way back to the 1800s. Although there are multiple people who have received credit on creating the first telephone, one being Antonio Meucci, who had received praise for inventing the first basic phone back in 1849, and another being Charles Bourseul, who had also been acknowledged for designing a phone in 1854, the one man who had received the most attention was Alexander Graham Bell, who had won the first U.S patent for the telephone in 1876. 

We all know how crucial phones are in this day and age, but how big of an impact did the creation of the telephone really make?

We’ll start off with the positives. Telephones revolutionized communication and the way we live today. The way the world works is controlled by telephones in various different ways. One impact is instant long distance communication, which helped people communicate immediately no matter where they are in the world, and that single handedly changed communication forever. Another impact left with this invention was improved business efficiency, making for better decision making, better coordination, and increased efficiency. Arguably one of the more important impacts was the drastic improvement of communication between people and emergency services, allowing people to report crimes, accidents, fires, and medical emergencies faster than ever. 

Of course, every invention has its positives, but there are always negatives, and in the case of the telephone, there’s no difference. One negative impact created from the invention of the telephone was privacy issues. Since the beginning of telephone usage, people would often use public phones, which would usually put their conversation in the ears of everyone around them. Another problem people experienced in the early days of the telephones was errors when it comes to sound quality and interference. Sometimes people would have issues such as static on phone calls, connection issues when other electrical devices were nearby, and sometimes the distance of the two callers could make it hard to talk to. 

The telephone completely altered life and the way everyone in the world works every single day. It improved relationships, businesses, and communication in general. Obviously the invention of the telephone doesn’t even compare to where smart phones and phones in total are in today's day and age, but it certainly left a massive impact and foot in the door for later inventions like such. The telephone will forever be a staple in the advancement of technology. 

The Founding Era - Supreme Court

 

One thing I learned about the supreme court in the videos that I didn't already know is that they have been having meetings since the 1790s. I had expected them to have been having meetings for quite some time, but I just didn’t expect them to have taken place over 230 years ago. It's truly fascinating to think about how early the legal system in the United States has been shaping the way of our nation, and cool to see that even after all of these years they are still doing just that same thing. With that being said, it makes me wonder how their meetings and decision making may have changed throughout the years, and if they have, or have not evolved over time, especially when you consider the drastic changes in technologies, cultures, and even just with laws.

The most important takeaway I learned from the videos that I have watched is that the supreme court helps to ensure that the American people are promised equal justice under the United States law. They also make sure that every law lines up with the United State’s ideas and core principles, which include democracy, liberty, and fairness. In my opinion, this is extremely important because over time laws can be changed, challenged, and interpreted in various different ways, and in the end it all comes back to the Supreme Court to determine their constitutionality.

The thing that surprised me the most after learning about the supreme court was how many petitions for review the Supreme Court gets every year. Annually, the Supreme Court can receive around 7,000 petitions, but they can only take around 100, according to the Supreme Court Procedures. I was shocked with just how selective the Supreme Court case processes are, and after truly realizing just how many cases go unheard each year, it made me realize how important the selected cases really are considering the rarity of a case getting picked within the 7,000 requests.

Overall, my view on the Supreme Court did not really change that much. I always knew how important the Supreme Court is in the United States, and how much of an essential role they play with each case trying their best for a proper alignment under the constitution. Although nothing really changed in my head, I did gain a bigger appreciation for everything that goes on in the Supreme Court, after being reminded of the weight on casing decisions, considering that every decision made under the Supreme Court has the opportunity of leaving long lasting effects on the United States of America, as well as its citizens.

My Top 5 Sources of News

Although I cannot confidently say that I am someone who constantly keeps up with the news, I do think it is a very important subject to closely follow, and in this day and age, I think being aware of the world is a priority. Though I am not a news “fanatic”, I do happen to have a “Top Five” when it comes to sources of news. A lot of the news that I follow occurs under the topic of sports. The sport I follow the closest is hockey, which leads me to my first source of news.

1. Sportsnet

 As someone who is a really big hockey fan, I think it is essential to keep up with the news account, Sportsnet. With the amount of changes and big events happening in the NHL daily, Sportsnet does an amazing job covering it all. In my opinion, Sportsnet, one of the most famous sports media brands originating out of Toronto, Ontario, is the NHL’s top news source. I follow up with this journal almost every day, as they do a good job at promoting their stories and articles through multiple different social media platforms, such as Instagram and TikTok.

2. Bleacher Report

Sticking with the theme of sports, my second favorite source of news would have to be Bleacher Report. They do a great job at consistently providing up to date information about all major sports leagues, such as the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB. One thing that I really like about Bleacher Report is the fact that their website is very organized. On their homepage they have sections for all different sports leagues, so when you want to view a certain sport, it is just one click away. 

3. Instagram

Surprisingly enough, the majority of the news I see, whether it be politics, entertainment, education, economics, and more, takes place on Instagram. With a good amount of my time taking place on social media, I think it is very convenient with how good Instagram is at keeping me updated with everything going on in the world. I feel like I can translate everything that’s happened in a day all around the world just by scrolling on Instagram. 

4. TikTok

Although I would not call it the most reliable source of news, I would say that TikTok should definitely be mentioned here for getting loads of information happening in the world out to viewers all over the world. Now, again, I would not tell someone to use it as a primary source of news, but you can find out a lot of things by just watching a few videos. The really unique thing about TikTok is that you can find a lot more foreign events going on as well, so it keeps you in the loop with other cultures and countries. 

5. AllSides

For my final news source I would give AllSides a spot on my list. AllSides does an amazing job at keeping the daily news as unbiased as possible. On their home screen, they will give you different options of news articles, and under each one, it will say how “left”, or how “right” the article is. Some will be heavy left, some will be fairly centered, and some will be far right. I think the way they run their site is one of the smartest ways to do it, and I heavily recommend it to anyone.