November of 1877, the publication Scientific American enthuses about Thomas Edison's new invention: the phonograph, a way to record and play back sound. Calling it a "wonderful invention," the article ...

November 21 is a date rich with pivotal moments that have shaped the course of history across the globe.

The idea that the human brain might work similarly arose almost immediately. In 1878, engineer Charles Siemens proposed that “the brain acts like a phonograph,” receiving sensory impressions and ...

Introduction: "Fugitive Sound Waves," Fugitive Voices -- The Talking Machine: A Marvelous Inevitability -- A Magic Speaking Object: Early Patterns of Response to the Phonograph -- Collectors and the ...