Daily Times

Sir: April 25 is the birth date of the Italian genius, Galileo Marconi, the inventor. With the push of a button, one can communicate with people anywhere in the world. His teacher, Augusto Righi, professor of physics at the University of Bologna, is the one who shaped his mind. Marconi kept himself engaged in measuring waves, microwaves and electric waves and was greatly influenced by the theoretical works of a mathematical genius, James C Maxwell. Marconi would say, “I might almost say the intuition that these waves might, in a not distant future, furnish mankind with a new and powerful means of communication.” He faced intense opposition and ridicule, but nothing could diminish his determination. He persisted with his research with primitive instruments, and was able to transmit a wireless message across a distance of more than a mile. In 1896, he doubled this distance.

As the corridors of power came to know about the successes of Marconi, he was invited to conduct his future planning and experiments at Spezia land station, from where he sent his wireless messages to warships 12 miles away at sea. In 1898, this range was increased to 74 miles. Usage of higher aerials and longer waves slowly increased this distance. With the passage of time this distance kept increasing with the result that today one can talk to anyone from the South to the North Pole.
In 1909, Marconi was given the Nobel Prize in Physics. He was also made member of the Senate. He died at the age of 63 in 1937.
Remembering Marconi, the memory of Professor Dr Salam comes to one’s mind — the Nobel Laureate of Pakistani origin sacrificed at the altar of religious bigotry. Dr. Salam was invited by Italy to set up a city of excellence, which he did under the name ‘The International Centre for Theoretical Physics’ in 1964.
Dr Salam passed away in 1996 at the age
of 73. May the souls of Marconi and Dr Salam rest in peace.
M S KHALID
Jhang