Where Do Your Texts Go?

Summary

This video explores the evolution of communication from the 19th century to the present, highlighting key milestones like the first transatlantic cable and the invention of the cell phone. It explains how text messaging works, including the role of radio waves and mobile networks. The video notes the shift from traditional SMS to internet messaging services like WhatsApp, which now dominate the landscape. With 5G technology on the horizon and projections for embedded communication devices, the future of messaging promises to be even more instantaneous and interconnected.

Takeaways

• 📅 200 years ago, it took 12 days to send a message from New York City to London.
• 📡 The first transatlantic cable transmission took 17 hours to reach the US President.
• 📞 30 years ago, the first cell phone was invented, costing nearly $4000 and requiring 10 hours to charge for 35 minutes of conversation.
• 💬 The first text message, 'Merry Christmas,' was sent 20 years ago, and now approximately 23 billion text messages are sent daily.
• 📻 Text messages work by using electromagnetic waves, similar to how radios operate.
• 🔋 Phone batteries may drain faster indoors or when moving at high speeds due to increased signal transmission demands.
• 🏢 Mobile networks consist of towers that divide geographical areas into 'cells' for better coverage.
• 💾 SMS text traffic peaked in 2011, with most people now using internet messaging services like WhatsApp.
• 🌊 99% of international data is transmitted through undersea cables.
• 🔮 Future technology may allow for body-embedded phones, enabling communication via thought by as early as 2023.

Q & A

How long did it take to deliver a message from New York City to London 200 years ago?

It took 12 days to deliver a message from New York City to London.

What technological advancement allowed for faster communication across the Atlantic 150 years ago?

The first transatlantic cable transmission was sent, taking 17 hours for a message to travel from the Queen of England to the US President.

What was notable about the first cell phone invented 30 years ago?

The first cell phone weighed as much as an iron, took 10 hours to charge for a 35-minute conversation, and cost almost $4000.

What significant event regarding text messaging occurred 20 years ago?

The first text message was sent, which was simply 'Merry Christmas.'

How many text messages are sent per day currently?

Around 23 billion text messages are sent each day.

What is the process of how a cell phone communicates messages?

When a message is sent, the phone transmits radio signals containing the identities of both phones and the message content to the nearest tower, which converts it into a digital impulse and sends it to a mobile switching center.

What happens if your phone is off or out of range when a message is sent?

The message is stored by the mobile switching center until the phone can be located by the network.

What technological shift has occurred in messaging since 2011?

Traditional SMS text traffic peaked in 2011, and now most people use internet services for messaging, with WhatsApp overtaking SMS as the primary handler of text messaging.

What infrastructure is primarily used for international data transmission?

99% of all international data is sent via undersea cables that run across the ocean floor.

What advancements in mobile communication technology are expected in the near future?

We are currently in the 4th generation of mobile communication networks, with 5G on the horizon, and it's projected that technology for phones embedded in our bodies may be available as soon as 2023.