Who Invented the Telephone?
BOSTON, Mass. — “Mr. Watson, come here; I want to see you.” In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell transmitted those now-famous words electromagnetically over a wire to his assistant, Thomas Watson.
In an archived recording, Watson recalls that momentous occasion with awe: “During the months that we were working together on the telegraph, Bell often spoke to me of another invention he had in his mind. It was the telephone. I remember my surprise when he told me that expected soon to be able to talk by telegraph!”
Bell holds the patent for inventing the telephone but a new book casts doubt on his claim to fame. It’s called “The Telephone Gambit: Chasing Alexander Graham Bell’s Secret” and the Massachusetts-based author, Seth Shulman, joins WBUR’s Bob Oakes to talk about it.
- Beacon-hill »
- Mass. Lawmakers Agree On Wind Energy Permits Bill
- Lawmakers Scramble To Finish Casino Bill
- Indie Auto Mechanics Fight For ‘Right To Repair’
- Commentary »
- Remembering Journalistic Icon Daniel Schorr
- Half-Hearted Hooligans Cheer On Fútbol At Fenway
- Lester Is Pitching To Join Boston’s Great Hurlers
- Crime-justice »
- Mass. Retirement Board To Appeal On DiMasi Pension
- Civil Rights Advocates Say FBI May Be Profiling
- Icy Sidewalks Ruling Could Be A Slippery Slope
- Election-2010 »
- Political Damage Done In Kerry Yacht Controversy, Analyst Says
- Vote For Good Lookin’: Candidates’ Appearances Affect Election Results
- Cahill Outlines Bill To Ban Credit Checks In Hiring
- Energy »
- Coalition Sues Feds For Approving Cape Wind
- Mass. Study: Wood Power Worse Polluter Than Coal
- Patrick Signs On To Wind Energy Consortium
- Environment »
- Swimmers Cautioned After Chatham Shark Sightings
- Groups Criticize State’s Bottled Water Spending
- Proposal To Ban Lobstering From Mass. To NC Killed
- Media »
- Mass. Newspaper Erects Commenter Paywall
- Remembrance: Longtime Boston TV Newsman John Henning Dies
- Ann Curry Apologizes For Confusing Wheaties
- Religion »
- Boston Advocates: New Vatican Rules On Punishing Clergy Abuse Fall Short
- Dioceses Oust Abusers They Had Pledged To Monitor
- Theology School For Religions To Form In Mass.
- Swine-flu »
- FAQ: Swine Flu Vaccine Availability
- Mass. Lifts Swine Flu Vaccine Restrictions
- Study: Swine Flu Is Relatively Mild Virus After All
- Looking Out: Pre-Teens Set Sail In Outward Bound
- Veterans Groups Struggle To Attract Young Soldiers
- Swimmers Cautioned After Chatham Shark Sightings
- Weekend ‘Tea Party’ Steeps Boston In Poetry
- Boston Fed: Cash Use Subsidizes Card Use
- Shark Map Update: Sightings Off Chatham
- Icy Sidewalks Ruling Could Be A Slippery Slope
- Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Earlier
- Plans For Kennedy Senate Institute Unveiled
- Your Olive Oil May Not Be The Virgin It Claims
- Looking Out: Pre-Teens Set Sail In Outward Bound
- Your Olive Oil May Not Be The Virgin It Claims
- (N)Ole! Spanish Region Says Adios To Bullfighting
- Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Earlier
- Veterans Groups Struggle To Attract Young Soldiers
- Weekend ‘Tea Party’ Steeps Boston In Poetry
- Boston Fed: Cash Use Subsidizes Card Use
- Concerns For The Sea Mix With Music In ‘Ocean Voices’
- Life Insurance Firms Profit From Death Benefits
- Study: Probation Ineffective, Wasting Money
- Looking Out: Pre-Teens Set Sail In Outward Bound
- Using An Alias At Starbucks
- Weekend ‘Tea Party’ Steeps Boston In Poetry
- Job Loss — And Zombies — Hit The Stage
- Ousted Evangelical Reflects On Faith, Future
- Veterans Groups Struggle To Attract Young Soldiers
- Dr. Atul Gawande: Make End Of Life More Humane
- Vote For Good Lookin’: Candidates’ Appearances Affect Election Results
- Icy Sidewalks Ruling Could Be A Slippery Slope
- Jay Roach, Steve Carell Pair Up For 'Schmucks'




