The power of radio
At the head of all technological advances throughout history, radio and telecommunication must come near the top.
When Marconi made the first transmission of one person鈥檚 voice to another over thousands of miles distance, civilisation took a great leap forward.
Added to the invention of the telephone a new era was opened up to the world鈥檚 populations
Entertainment was brought in to peoples homes. Cheap affordable receivers known aswere produced and in a short time every home had what became known as a wireless set. If the medium of radio disappeared tomorrow the world would grind to a halt.
Newspapers report events happening halfway around the world within an hour only because of radio. Local radio stations keep communities in touch with each other. Here in Liverpool we have one of the best in the country.
Television has had an enormous impact on our lives. In the field of producing news it is on a par with radio but as an entertainment medium is stuttering a little. TV is like a huge sponge sucking up material faster than it becomes obtainable. With the inauguration of 24 hour programming we now have 40% trivia being shown e.g. .
Go through the channels in the early hours and every one is a blank screen with the words 鈥淪tarts at 7am鈥.
The telephone brought another step forward in communication between the world鈥檚 populations. Who knows what the end result will be for these instruments. They already play music; take photos, short videos, news flashes.
However radio is the king in the area of communication. From talking to somebody 1000 miles away, to N.A.S.A talking to astronauts on the moon. It appears that the only way radio can be superseded is by way of thought transference and if that sounds crazy remember some noted people of the day said Marconi was off his rocker, as the saying goes.
They obviously had not heard of a chap called 鈥淣ostradamus鈥 who was born 400 years ago. In a book of predictions he forecast that man would one day talk to each other across the seas. And most of his forecasts have been amazingly correct right up to the present day.
There is an opposing view always! - and this one says civilisation as we know it isn't moving forwards but backwards.
Telecommunications now enable is to pin point with absolute accuracy where our enemy is and blow him to smitherines!
(what is a smitherine by the way - the smallest particle of recognised human tisue?)
Telecommunications, including the humble radio has not made us one bit nicer to each other - has not reduced hatred amongst the religions has not reduced the starving masses or saved kids lives.
Sure it's fun at times, and fills in those boring gaps in life but it also adds to the general illusions in life too.
it reflects as does TV the illusions of everyday life. It says in fact - Hi this is your life and the life of others on this planet, don't look too deeply just enjoy!
Some people I know just cannot ever live one day without it purring in the background - now there must be a one almighty crutch if ever I saw one.
IN 1976, Diane Perry secluded herself in a remote cave, 13,200 feet up in the Himalayas, without a radio!
She enaged herself in 12 yrs of intense Buddhist meditation and came out a very enlightened lady and still doesn't need the radio.
Can we all attain that - Yes with effort but you'll need to turn the radio off first!
A lot of the points you make are true, but the fact is Radio has saved lives. It has helped people living alone, and lastly as Abraham Lincoln said "You can please some of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time. But you can't please all of the people all of the time."