Summary
Overview
Michael Stevens and Hannah Fry explore the fascinating intersection of communication technology and physics in this Field Notes episode. They dive into the history of telegrams through an 1900s code book that compressed messages into single words to save money, discuss why we rarely dream about our smartphones despite constant use, explain the physics behind water swirling down drains, and calculate what it would take to survive falling from the world's tallest building.
The 1900s Telegram Code Book
Michael presents a leather-bound code book from 1900 that revolutionized telegram communication by encoding entire phrases into single Latin words. Since telegrams charged by the word, this book allowed people to convey complex messages economically - for example, 'Melania' meant 'what is the length of blank' and could save users significant money. The book contains both mundane business phrases and deeply personal messages about births and deaths, all compressed into single words that both sender and recipient would need to decode.
- The code book is from 1900s and contains Latin words that correspond to common phrases people needed to send via telegram
- Telegrams charged by the word, making compression economically valuable - 'Melania' replaced 'what is the length of'
- The book included dark entries like 'amygdala' meaning 'gave birth today, baby dead, mother weak'
- Different words existed for every permutation of birth outcomes, mother's health, and baby's gender
- The word 'nausea' meant a wedding would take place on Tuesday
" Amygdala means gave birth today, baby dead, mother weak. "
" Imagine getting a telegram and you still don't really know the news. I would say that that is one situation in which paying for the extra words was probably worth it. "
The Telegraph's Revolutionary Impact on Society
The telegraph, invented by Samuel Morse after a personal tragedy, fundamentally transformed human communication by enabling near-instantaneous message transmission across vast distances. Before 1844, only local news mattered because information traveled at the speed of horses. The telegraph shrunk the world so dramatically that for the first time in history, people could receive news about events that didn't directly affect their immediate lives, fundamentally changing society and setting the stage for our modern information-saturated world.
- Samuel Morse invented the telegraph after his wife died while he was away - the letter informing him arrived too late for him to be at her side
- The first telegraphic message sent by Morse in 1844 was 'What hath God wrought?' - showing he understood its profound impact
- Before 1844, you might learn the Civil War ended a month later, with some people fighting unaware it was over
- Telegram usage peaked in the 1920s with over 100 million sent annually
- Charles Babbage invented a fully functioning computer design in the mid-1800s that was never built
" What hath God wrought? "
" Ever since the telegraph, we've lived in the world that we still live in today with social media, with constant access to news and information from all around the world, from a city that doesn't even concern you. "
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