Edison’s list⌗

Submit to: D2L⌗

In an article for the North American Review, Thomas Edison (1878) imagined 10 possible use cases for his new invention of the phonograph:1

  1. Letter writing and dictation without the aid of a stenographer.
  2. Phonographic books for the blind.
  3. The teaching of elocution.
  4. Reproduction of music.
  5. The “family record” – a registry of sayings, reminiscences, etc., by members of a family in their own voices, and the last words of dying persons.
  6. Music-boxes and toys.
  7. Clocks that should announce in articulate voice the time for going home, going to meals, etc.
  8. The preservation of languages by exact reproduction of the manner of pronouncing.
  9. Educational purposes such as preserving the explanations made by a teacher, so that the pupil can refer to them at any moment, and spelling or other lessons placed upon the phonograph for convenience in committing to memory.
  10. Connection with the telephone, so as to make that instrument an auxiliary in the transmission of permanent and invaluable records, instead of being the recipient of momentary and fleeting communications.

Instructions⌗

Prepare a written response for an in-class discussion centered on Thomas Edison’s list of technologies.

Deliverable (what to turn in)⌗

Submit one document that includes:

  1. A 10-row table (one row per item on Edison’s list) that shows:

    • Your rank order from most-used today (1) to least-used today (10)
    • A significance percentage for each item (your percentages must total 100%)
    • A brief justification for each item (1–2 sentences)

  2. A short reflection (about 300–500 words) that explains your overall ranking logic, especially your lowest-ranked items and your critique of how recording technologies have shaped society and culture.

You can copy/paste and fill in this template:

Edison item #Edison’s description (short)Your modern interpretation (1 phrase)Rank (1–10)Significance (%)1–2 sentence justification
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Requirements (what your work should address)⌗

  • Reordering (table): Rank the 10 items by current usage frequency (your best guess).
  • Percentages (table): Assign significance percentages that total 100%.
  • Modern interpretation (table): Treat “the phonograph” as any widely-used sound recording tech today; reinterpret other items in modern terms.
  • Support + cultural context (table + reflection): Justify your ordering using your perspective on cultural significance; you may use published data if helpful.
  • Bottom items (reflection): Explain why your lowest-ranked items fell to the bottom and what could make them more significant in the future.
  • Critical perspective (reflection): Critique how recording tech has evolved since Edison, including sociocultural pros/cons.

Assignment adapted from Music and Technology: Recording Techniques and Audio Production

  1. Sterne 2003, p. 202. ↩︎