On May 15th in Science History, a significant event took place in 1935. On this day, physicist Edwin Armstrong presented his paper "A Method of Reducing Disturbances in Radio Signaling by a System of Frequency Modulation" to the New York section of the Institute of Radio Engineers.
In his groundbreaking paper, Armstrong introduced the concept of Frequency Modulation (FM) radio, which revolutionized the field of radio communication. Prior to Armstrong's invention, radio broadcasts relied on Amplitude Modulation (AM), which was susceptible to static interference and noise.
Armstrong's FM system worked by varying the frequency of the radio wave to encode audio information, rather than varying the amplitude as in AM radio. This approach dramatically reduced the impact of static and interference, resulting in clearer and higher-quality audio transmissions.
Despite the superiority of FM radio, it took several decades for the technology to become widely adopted. Armstrong faced significant resistance from RCA (Radio Corporation of America), which had heavily invested in AM radio technology. The company, along with other radio manufacturers, initially dismissed FM as unnecessary and tried to suppress its development.
However, Armstrong persevered, and FM radio eventually gained traction. In the 1960s, FM radio became increasingly popular, offering listeners a better audio experience and a wider range of programming options. Today, FM radio is widely used worldwide, and it remains an important part of the radio broadcasting landscape.
Edwin Armstrong's presentation on May 15th, 1935, marked a turning point in the history of radio communication. His invention of FM radio not only improved the quality of radio broadcasts but also paved the way for future advancements in wireless communication technology.
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