Focus On

A long time ago people could only talk and listen to each other if they were within shouting distance. Today we can communicate with people on the other side of the world at the touch of a button. It makes the world feel smaller.

People used to train pigeons to send messages over long distances. Thousands of years ago, these distant relatives of mine acted as messengers to announce the results of races in the earliest Olympics. How could you find out a result of a sports event today?

Signals are another way of communicating. Sending messages by waving small flags is called semaphore. Visit www.anbg.gov.au/flags/semaphore.html for the whole alphabet in semaphore so you can communicate by semaphore yourself!

Roll your cursor over the pictures to find out how technology has changed the way we communicate. Can you put them in the order from the oldest to the most modern?

for the answer.

Today, electronic equipment lets us send and receive messages and information over amazingly long distances. This technology is called, "telecommunications" from the Greek word, 'tele' that means far away.


	©Guy Mansfield/Panos Pictures


	©Chris Stowers/Panos Pictures

TV, telephone and radio signals can be sent into space and reflected by satellites to the other side of the earth.

But large numbers of people do not have the technology that they need. This is a big problem for many poorer countries. Choose the Digital Divide page from the left-hand menu to find out more.

Written or spoken words are the foundation of most communication, but it depends on what languages you speak. Choose the Languages page from the left-hand menu to find out about the differences in language across the world.