PBS/KLRU was piping in a lot of BBC content tonight. One show about Queen Elizabeth II and her travels to the different Commonwealth Nations; one about Walter Cronkite revisiting Europe to see what effects both American and British journalism had on each respective country after WWII; and one about the first trans-atlantic telegraphy cables laid between Newfoundland and Ireland circa 1858-1866.
“Inductive reactance? We haven’t discovered that electrical engineering principle yet! Up the voltage to make up for the resistance so we can signal faster! …Hey, why did the cable short circuit and melt underwater?!”
I’m somewhat surprised, yet not, that it was 1955-1956 before we got around to laying TAT-1 between Scotland and Newfoundland to allow the first terrestrial (submarine) telephone calls to Great Britain. Whacky post-WWII Americans, first we want Airstreams, nylon, an interstate highway system, lunch underground, and then to be able to talk to the Brits on a reliable low latency communication link.
Alex says before we go to Panama we need to go to the Arctic Ocean. Austin, Texas to Deadhorse, Alaska : 4,640 miles. ha ha ha. About 200 miles from Barrow, but it’s the terminus of the Dalton Highway and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. That’s easily a seven-day, one-way drive from Texas for me. Coldfoot to Deadhorse, “No services 240 miles” — be sure to pack a couple of spare tires, a few cans of fuel, tools and cash for that trip.
