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American inventor of the electric telegraph and Morse code, Samuel Morse (1791–1872) |
The operator was using Morse Code, a code in which letters and numbers are represented by dots, dashes, and signals. For more than a century, the code was used to carry important messages —including emergency messages —over telegraphs and radios.
But now the U.S. government is phasing out Morse Code. Beginning this year, amateur radio operators won't need to know the code to obtain a radio license. Government officials say the code is outdated because there are more modern methods of communication today, such as voice and video.
Amateur radio operator Nancy Kott was disappointed to hear the news. She's a member of the International Morse Preservation Society. She says Morse Code is a useful communication tool and an important part of U.S. history. "[Morse Code] lets me communicate all over the world with people who sometimes don't know English," she says. "It's fun to know a language that lets you communicate without speaking. It's like having your own secret code."
Morse Code was invented in the 1830s by Samuel Morse. He showed how information could be transmitted over wires and sent as electrical signals. These signals include short and long signals, which represent different dots and dashes. Certain sequences of dots and dashes represent various letters and numbers. For example, one dot followed by one dash (.-) represents the letter A.
Morse Code quickly became an important part of civilian and military radio communications, though the U.S. military has abandoned its use in favor of newer technologies. In the 1990s, the U.S. Coast Guard stopped listening for Morse Code SOS, or distress, signals at sea.
Today, Morse Code is used primarily as a hobby. But Kott believes the code should live on as an important form of communication. "The future for Morse Code is limitless," she says. "You never know where your signal is going to land, and it doesn't matter if the person who answers you doesn't understand English because we both speak Morse Code."
*Click here for the answers!
But now the U.S. government is phasing out Morse Code. Beginning this year, amateur radio operators won't need to know the code to obtain a radio license. Government officials say the code is outdated because there are more modern methods of communication today, such as voice and video.
Amateur radio operator Nancy Kott was disappointed to hear the news. She's a member of the International Morse Preservation Society. She says Morse Code is a useful communication tool and an important part of U.S. history. "[Morse Code] lets me communicate all over the world with people who sometimes don't know English," she says. "It's fun to know a language that lets you communicate without speaking. It's like having your own secret code."
Morse Code was invented in the 1830s by Samuel Morse. He showed how information could be transmitted over wires and sent as electrical signals. These signals include short and long signals, which represent different dots and dashes. Certain sequences of dots and dashes represent various letters and numbers. For example, one dot followed by one dash (.-) represents the letter A.
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Today, Morse Code is used primarily as a hobby. But Kott believes the code should live on as an important form of communication. "The future for Morse Code is limitless," she says. "You never know where your signal is going to land, and it doesn't matter if the person who answers you doesn't understand English because we both speak Morse Code."
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On a sheet of paper, write the alphabet. Next to each letter, write a number, starting with number 1. For example: A = 1, B =2, C = 3. After you have completed the list, decipher the following messages.
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*Click here for the answers!
*Please note that the following links direct you to other Web sites outside of the Weekly Reader Web site. While Weekly Reader checks these links to ensure that they are suitable for all ages, Weekly Reader takes no responsibility for the content on these sites. Children should always ask a parent or guardian before visiting any Web site.
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- A free Morse Code translator on the Boy Scouts of America Web site
- Locust Grove, the Samuel Morse Historic Site, includes information about visiting the Morse exhibit in New York and a history of Samuel Morse.
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- Check out this Morse Code Crazy Quiz!
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