38 min

Electronic Television: The Picture Radio American Innovations

    • Science

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

The invention of the electronic television was uniquely complicated for its time. So complicated, in fact, that the prevailing narrative is that it couldn’t have been invented by a single person -- let alone Philo Farnsworth. 




After all, some of the most brilliant minds in the world spent the first quarter of the 20th century working on television systems -- and some even managed to transmit images. But none of those systems were ever able to deliver the quality of images they’d need to be commercially viable. None except Philo Farnsworth, a farm boy from Utah, who got the idea for television when he was fourteen years old. 




You can binge all episodes of American Innovations exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. Find Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The invention of the electronic television was uniquely complicated for its time. So complicated, in fact, that the prevailing narrative is that it couldn’t have been invented by a single person -- let alone Philo Farnsworth. 




After all, some of the most brilliant minds in the world spent the first quarter of the 20th century working on television systems -- and some even managed to transmit images. But none of those systems were ever able to deliver the quality of images they’d need to be commercially viable. None except Philo Farnsworth, a farm boy from Utah, who got the idea for television when he was fourteen years old. 




You can binge all episodes of American Innovations exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. Find Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

38 min

Top Podcasts In Science

The Infinite Monkey Cage
BBC Radio 4
Ologies with Alie Ward
Alie Ward
The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry
BBC Radio 4
Making Sense with Sam Harris
Sam Harris
Science Weekly
The Guardian
Hidden Brain
Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

More by Wondery

British Scandal
Wondery
American Scandal
Wondery
Dr. Death
Wondery
This Is Actually Happening
Wondery
Business Wars
Wondery
Against The Odds
Wondery