"The instrument can teach, it can illuminate, it can even inspire. But only if human beings are willing to use it tothose ends. Otherwise, it is just wires and lights in a box." Edward R. Murrow, NBC studios in NEW York onJune 2, 1953. You use it all the time. It's a part of your every day life, but do you really have any idea who invented it?Television is the center of the household. It will always be there. You cannot ignore it just as you cannot ignore aplague. Not many ponder it's power or how it works. This paper tells of the man who did. In fact he invented it. PhiloTaylor Farnsworth who was the American inventor of the television during the first half of the century from 1927-1956had a significant impact on history because television dramatically changed politics and culture throughout the world.What Edward R. Murrow meant was that television was a great thing if used correctly, if not it was useless.Historical Background Philo Taylor Farnsworth was born in Beaver, Utah on August 19,1906. He discovered the subject ofelectricity, as a young boy. He became very fascinated with it. He later saw a science magazine that had a article in itabout a new idea which an author described as,"...pictures that fly through the air..." Young Philo became interestedand decided to look into it. At this time television had already been invented by some inventors such as Paul Nipkowand John Logie Baird, but they had only created mechanical television with spinning disks or mirrors. Philo new thatyou could not spin disks fast enough to create a moving picture. He only knew of one thing that could; the electron.One day Philo was daydreaming while disk harrowing a potato field with a two horse team. Row by row byrow. Suddenly he got an idea that if he could put lines of dots row by row on the television to make a picture, hewould have something. This single idea started the whole thing. At fifteen years of age Philo created his first televisionsystem...
