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Bell Dethroned as Telephone Inventor

Posted by michael on from the why-invent-when-you-can-steal dept.

On Hold writes "The US Congress has decided that A. G. Bell was not the real inventor of the telephone. According to this article, it was invented by a Florentine immigrant called Meucci. Meucci later worked with Bell in a lab, but couldn't afford the patent fees. It seems like Bell could." Wait until you read the stories giving Shawn Fanning credit for inventing P2P...

7 of 75 comments (clear)

  1. Internet by rogerl · · Score: 1, Funny

    Don't forget, Al Gore invented the Internet...

  2. Now what? by jonerik · · Score: 2, Funny

    So does this mean that now we'll be calling Bell Lab "Meucci Lab" instead? Will we be referring to the Baby Bells as "Mini Meuccis?"

  3. credit where credit is due by tps12 · · Score: 3, Funny

    However, Bell is still recognized for creating a popular character who sold telephones in radio and telegraph ads with the hip catchphrase, "dude, you're gettin' a Bell."

    --

    Karma: Good (despite my invention of the Karma: sig)
  4. Alexander Graham Bee-gees. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Whoever it is, I'm glad the inventor of the phone was not Alexander Graham Siren, Alexander Graham Foghorn, or Alexander Graham Bee-Gees. The ringing of a bell to indicate that the phone needs answering is so much better than many of thse alternatives.

  5. Eliza Gray by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Eliza Gray invented the simple computer psychologist program. It is named after her.

    Remember Commodore Grace Hopper? When she was 64 years old, she invented a very popular wonder computer in the early 1980s that bears her title and age.

  6. Must be true. by booch · · Score: 3, Funny

    Well, if Congress says it's true, it *must* be true, eh?

    In my city, a developer signed a contract to renovate a building. After spending a couple million dollars, they gave up. Conveniently, the city passed a resolution determining that the renovation project was "complete". Of course, the building is still sitting there unused.

    I hate it when the government makes things "true" by legislative fiat.

    --
    Software sucks. Open Source sucks less.
  7. Re:Elisha Gray by SN74S181 · · Score: 2, Funny
    I wonder if the difficulty coming up with a working model had to do with the 'wife' problem.

    I mean, I read the article:

    Dude is experimenting in Cuba with electric shocks to treat illness.

    Wife becomes paralyzed.

    Wife for some reason sells off machines for $6 to a second hand shop.

    Probably she'd had enough with his electric shocks, etc. Perhaps he couldn't keep a prototype in the home because anytime he went out for a beer it mysteriously disappeared.