Thomas Edison, one of the main masterminds of technology, created thousands of inventions, such as the phonograph, electric lamp, telephone transmitter, and the movie projector. In addition, he also created the world's first industrial research lab. Born in Milan, Ohio, Edison was a nosy kid. By the time he was 10 he had set up a minor chemical lab in the basement of his house after his mom had awakened his curiosity. He discovered the study of chemistry and the making of electrical currents from jars particularly fascinating and soon worked on a homemade telegraph. In 1868 he got a job in Boston as a skilled night worker for Western Union Telegraph Company. During the day he didn’t get much sleep because he was absorbed by the desire to operate electrical currents in different ways. In July 1877, while creating his telephone transmitter, Edison got the idea of copying and playing back telephone messages. After experimenting with a telephone "diaphragm having an embossing point & held against paraffin paper moving rapidly," …show more content…
Audibility was a subject of much scientific attention during the nineteenth century. Scientists working to copy the variety of tones and overtones needed to imitate human speech had invented complex devices for this purpose. Also, they recognized the ear as one of the most complex parts of human structure. As a result, the simple device and process of the phonograph seemed amazing and even encouraged some original disbelief. Edison even received a letter from one professor, who called the "idea of a talking machine ridiculous" and directed Edison to protect his "good reputation as an inventor among scientific men." But the phonograph soon became a subject of large interest to the scientific community, which used it to explore the science of audibility, and Edison was, of course, celebrated for his influence on