Trials and Errors #46: A Remarkable XYL

This same scenario has repeated with many brilliant scientists and inventors, if not all of them.

 

I agree, having a friend who, while not quite publicly acknowledged as genius, was a Tier 1 intellect. I felt immensely smarter whenever chatting with him on a subject, because I always learned something.
Anyhow, Carl did a lot of research for both his employer, Bell Labs, as well as Amateur Radio... eccentric but grounded (pun intended [snare rim shot]. His wife, Ginny, was an absolute patient saint in dealing with the many offshoot projects, experiments and endeavors that Carl undertook.

 

Especially the part about companies trying to skirt their inventions? Not sure the husband/wife scenario that these two had has been often repeated. But as Robert KA2CZU says above, some have been lucky in the same way with their partners.

 

Not sure how many of the great minds even had partners. Yes, I was talking about the patent theft/infringement throughout history and mistreatment of these people - including the guy who invented the intermittent windshield wiper, Alan Turing, and other well known examples.

 

Yes, you're talking about Robert Kearns. The movie about his intermittent wiper and the difficulties he had with the big automakers stealing it is called "Flash of Genius" and it's pretty good.

 

In business, the desire to dominate and possess everything within reach is not a bug, it’s a feature. Once an inventor’s work is understood by the businessman, the inventor becomes an obstacle, not a collaborator. The businessman can then convince himself that he alone deserves to reap the rewards, since without him the product would not have reached the market. Fairness is for suckers. “If I can take it, it’s rightfully mine,” he thinks, “and that’s why America is such a great country.”

Sarnoff is one of the more notorious examples. But how many non-techies know about Steve Wozniak vs. how many believe that Steve Jobs invented the Apple computer? And how many Americans believe Jonas Salk was a fool for not patenting his polio vaccine?

 

Hi Peter, thanks for jumping in. I like your comment about the American businessman's attitude -- especially that the inventor "becomes an obstacle, not a collaborator." A bit sarcastic, but I'm with you and believe that's true. It's perhaps world-wide and not just in the USA, however.

 

OK,

Here's my comment:

This is THE BEST and most factual description of Armstrong and his predicament I have seen, and I have personally sought out several. I have even visited Armstrong's grave, as Dave indeed shows a photo of here.

My takeaway on this will not be popular. But here it is--

The reason we don't truly celebrate Armstrong is because he committed suicide. Although views on suicide are now more open and pre-emption is accessible ane encouraged, there is still a stigma . As I turn 70, I know of more than a dozen people who chose their own demise, mostly through drugs and or despair or both. Like many, I helped when I could in the ways I knew how, to prevent tragedies I could not control.

The emptiness and helplessness of the living who continue is not something our culture does well in coming to terms with.

We all need training on how to help those in a moment of questioning, on why they should continue. The answer is obvious but only clear to those with age: in the crazy condition called life, change is inevitable. You don't need to be an optimist to know that the pendulum swings to happiness eventually, often outside of our own volition or control. Despair is deep and black. But it is transient.

My point is that we still cannot accept those who take their own lives for the good of who they were; we have to define them by their end. In the 1950's suicide was a verbotten topic. People were encouraged not to speak of those who perished. They became non-people. Armstrong was well a victim of being a a non-entity. What a profound waste to not celebrate the life and accomplishments of such a person! How many could have learned by his example rather than having it marginalized and even unspoken of for many, many years!

In Armstrong 's case there IS an exception. The Radio Club of America never forgot Armstrong and he is still revered, even in this digital age. The RCA even awards the Armstrong Medal, for outstanding contributions to radio and wireless. It is being awarded this weekend, in fact

Dave did a great job of bringing this important story to your attention. The fact is that inventors do not have an easy job of it. The price for 'enhancing the human condition' is high, but you will find few inventors, who would choose not to do it.

Hope that helps

73
Chip W1YW

 

Excellent, but somewhat biased; DeForest really wasnt quite the buffoon as betrayed. The book does a better job than the documentary, IMO.

 

...few will tell you the conflicts that arise.

 

Sure appreciate the comments Chip. You're right about suicide . . . it wasn't EVER spoken of in my home. It was a terrible sin to commit such an act, and those who did so were immediately branded as being influenced by the dark side. My mother, the religious one in the family, whispered to me about a suicide from a neighbor down the street and never spoke about her friend again. What a shame that this is the same way that our society branded Armstrong. Dave, W7DGJ

 

Less now, 70 years after his death.

I believe IEEE now has a museum display running on Armstrong.

John Hays Hammond , Jr. is another guy of that era to grok. We unfortunately emphasize the weird castle he built. But few know the inventions that built it;-)

The wars that are being fought as we speak point back directly to the radio control work of Hammond.

 

It all comes down to lack of compassion brought on by the better than thou attitude that developes in religion.
There is no empathy or thought that goes into asking why or what can be done in preventing a suicide
When it comes to intellectual property its much harder to protect your property than it is to steal it.
And the damage is exponentially more difficult when profit is involved.

 

Very educational article. Learned more about Armstrong. And the value of patents.
J.C. Bose went the other route, published his 60GHz research in 1896 but had to be begged to patent his incidental RF detector inventions. (https://eworkbench.blogspot.com/2019/12/from-beginning-days-of-radio.html)

 

Thanks Lynn, appreciate the comment. I don't know anything about Bose - will check that out! See you on the air, QRP! Dave, W7DGJ