Thursday, August 28, 2008

Telecomm Archeology

The Swedish designers at Unsworn Industries have erected a 23-foot tall (7 metre) "artistic piece" on Bergskletten Mountain overlooking Dalsfjord in Western Norway.

This "sculpture" is actually a "telemegaphone." You can call an international phone number and have your voice broadcast out over the valley and into the village of Dale at the foot of the mountain. You may, however, find the line is either busy or there is no answer at all. It may be busy because "massive" amounts of people are calling, or you may not get any answer at all because the telemegaphone is powered by wind and if the weather is calm that day, there is no energy to power the device.

And you thought I was kidding.

Oh, all right. +47.90.369389. Remember there are children down in the village.

+++

(I know this joke just went around a week or so ago, but I love it and it fits. -- MR)

Having dug to a depth of 100 metres last year, English scientists discovered traces of copper wire and came to the conclusion that their ancestors had apparently had a telephone network in place more than 200 years ago.

Not to be outdone by the English, in the weeks that followed the Scots dug to a depth of 200 metres and reported that archeologists had found traces of ancient fiber-optic cable and concluded that their ancestors had a high-definition digital communications network in place at least 100 years earlier than the Brits.

One week later, Irish newspapers reported the following: Having dug to a depth of at least 300 metres in a County Mayo bog and finding nothing, local archeologist Paddy O'Donnell has concluded that Ireland had, more than 500 years ago, gone wireless.

[seen first in the Good, Clean Funnies List, but thanks also to Randy Walker]

+++

WISDOM for YOUR WEEK: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

+++


Mark's Musings is also sent each weekday via email. Call in your own subscription by clicking here ... it's free!

No comments: