History Lesson #

  1. Electron Microscope
  2. FM radio
  3. Nuclear Fission
  4. Transistor

Electron Microscope

The germ theory existed before we knew they existed for sure. The microscopes of the day were unable to detect germs and viruses. Electron microscopes were invented in 1933 in Germany. It lets super tiny organisms like germs and viruses be seen. They allow us to study viruses and germs to make vaccines.

FM Radio

The first radio was AM radio. Imagine we have a carrier radio wave, and we need to encode a signal (audio, video, etc.) onto that wave. There are two ways of doing this. Change the amplitude (height of peaks) or the frequency (space between the peaks). This Wikipedia animation illustrates the difference. The same signal is being encoded into amplitude modulation (AM) and frequency modulation (FM).

AM radio was an OK form of radio, but it picked up and played a lot of static. Short-band FM radio already existed, but Edwin Armstrong invented wide-band FM. FM does not pick up a lot of static. FM created new forms of music because there was room for expanding.

Nuclear Fission

In the mid 1890’s, X-rays and radioactivity were were first discovered. A chain reaction was proposed:

235U and 238U are different types of Uranium, a very radioactive substance. The image above keeps happening until there is no more Uranium left. The little teal circles are Neutrons. If there are too many of them, the atom that they are fired into will become unstable and burst. Atomic bombs work this way. Atomic bombs were invented by the 1950’s, and nuclear power was rising by 1958. Nuclear power is 1/5 of our power, but atomic bombs are still very dangerous if an an enemy started dropping them on us.

Transistor

Vacuum tube triodes could amplify signals, but the used a LOT of power. 16 vacuum tube smartphones would take up all the power in the USA. 3 men working at Bell labs invented the Transistor in 1947. The transistor not only amplifies signals, it is MICROSCOPIC! They are not power hungry. There are BILLIONS of transistors in a smartphone. Transistor radios and computers were invented. From 1950 to 2000 the transistor created many new devices. And that brings us to our bonus section:

Bonus Section!

Q-How much do you think the world will have changed in 50 years?

Today: 5/21/2021

50 Years from today: 5/21/2071

A-I think that many things will have changed by 2071, including flying cars, people on Mars, people on the moon again, and self-controled transportation. The quality of Catan games and quantity of Catan expansions will probably have increased. We will have more solar power hydro power, and wind power.