[CW] Interesting Podcast about Samuel F. B. Morse and Morse Code

[Chris R. NW6V]

Hi Richard.

You're quite right about Western Union being the first national company.
The problem of having many, many, many telegraph companies link to each
other was solved by monopoly - and it was referred to as a "natural
monopoly" if memory serves.

The effort to eliminate the operator continues unto today, where we as a
species are STILL fervently trying to build AI (artificial intelligence) to
replace us.

The good news - which popped out of my telegraphy research - is that AI,
like human intelligence, still cannot exceed the laws of physics.
For example, AI systems are now capable of driving Formula One race cars
around the track within a fraction of a second of their human counterparts.
It is amazing that AI can do that, but I note carefully, that AI cannot
increase traction beyond its actual limits. A driver "at the limit" is "at
the limit," whether AI or human.

This also explains why code copying computers cannot exceed our ability to
copy code. The noise is the noise, and beneath it lies only chaos -
supplemented by our ability to dub in the details. For AI to copy LOWER
than us requires that they operate on sensory channels not available to us
- i.e. outside the world of time-tied sense perception. This becomes the
world of statistical probabilities and summing of long-term data globs into
patterns. In other words, they had to wait for us to invent FT8. But note
that humans invented FT8 - FT8 did not invent humans.

If I'm right, then humans will have an important place in the world for the
foreseeable future - as the intelligence behind the intelligence. If I'm
wrong... if AI actually "wakes up" and achieves consciousness, we are a
write-off experiment in the history of evolution.

Stay tuned.

73 Chris NW6V

On Wed, Aug 4, 2021 at 11:25 AM Richard Knoppow <1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com>
wrote:

>     This is an interesting summary of the history of the
> telegraph. I will add only that the desire to get rid of the
> human element in transmission continued. Eventually Western Union
> and other telegraph companies mechanized the system almost
> completely. The initial attempts at a printing telegraph
> culminated with the Teletype although one could stretch it to the
> vary e-mail we are using now. The Morse/Vail code had the great
> advantage of not needing the machinery. I am glad you stress that
> the telegraph, including wireless telegraph, operated on human
> intelligence.
>     BTW, Western Union was the first nationwide company. I can't
> give a citation for this because it is lost in my memory but I
> determined it was accurate when I first saw it pointed out.
>     I have not looked at the pod cast. I once attended a lecture
> on motion picture sound (a special interest of mine) by an
> authority who kept saying "single" for signal. It didn't really
> matter, some people are just not good public speakers.
>
> On 8/4/2021 10:35 AM, Chris R. NW6V wrote:
> >
> > Hi Dave et al.
> >
> > I listened to the podcast, and here is the review I posted:
> >
> >
>
> --
> Richard Knoppow
> 1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com
> WB6KBL
>
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