Hi Gangue, Bell worked on the telephone for a number of years prior to his "invention" of it, and was actually interested in whether or not it could be used to improve the situation for the "profoundly deaf" rather than as a means of mass communications.
I understand records held at Donaldson's School here in Edinburgh show this quite clearly (Donaldson's School still looks after many profoundly deaf and blind children as well as those BOTH deaf and blind) It is a bit strange to see kids playing soccer who are blind and they are listening where the ball is because it has a bell suspended inside it! AFAIK the records show Bell (Alexander Graham that is, not the one inside the soccer ball) was working on ideas such as bone conduction, possible direct implants and various other ideas that are now making it into the real world. I have also heard that Bell's reason for this work was a relative who was deaf, and he was seeking a means of communicating with him/her. Regards Mel --from Mel Evans, e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] Check out http://www.arachne4dos.freeserve.co.uk for more details and FREE DOWNLOAD of Arachne, the Internet suite, WWW browser and e-mailer that runs in and for DOS! and now LINUX!
