Everyday Elements

Quirky Science

E12 The invention of "waves" - as in radio waves or electro-magnetic fields - has led to many great inventions. Radio waves transmit music, conversations, pictures or data invisibly through the air, over thousands of miles - it happens every day in thousands of different ways. Even though radio waves are invisible and completely undetectable to humans, they have totally changed society. Whether we are talking about a cell phone, a microwave oven, our TV's, RADAR systems or any one of the thousands of other wireless technologies, all of them use radio waves to communicate. But what are radio waves? Radio waves are a force that is created when you combine magnetism and electricity: so called electromagnetism. How did we discover all this? Many men were involved: In the 18th century, Luigi Galvani made frog legs twist; Benjamin Franklin used a kite and a key during a thunderstorm; in the 19th century Hans Christian Oersted saw a needle move every time he switched on the...