It still blows my mind how ubiquitous communication is now. I just had someone message me instantly from a ship in the Mediterranean, while I'm on a flight in the US.

https://lemmy.zip/post/57947121

It still blows my mind how ubiquitous communication is now. I just had someone message me instantly from a ship in the Mediterranean, while I'm on a flight in the US. - Lemmy.zip

Even less than a 150 years ago that would have been impossible. And prior to that communication among normal people could take months.

150 years ago, you being on a plane wouldve been unthinkable, let alone instantaneous international communication

The idea of an airplane itself would he quite a stretch in 1876 considering the Wright brothers made their famous flight in 1903.

But instantaneous communication? They had telegraph at that time. Even international lines.

My point was more about instantaneous communication for civilians between a ship in the middle of the sea and an airplane half a world away.

Even if the plane existed you’re not gonna be running a telegraph cable to that or the ship. Even if you focused on radio, a general passenger wouldn’t be able to use it on a whim.

focused on radio

And there, you’d be looking at 1901 for the first trans-Atlantic signal.

But then again, a general passenger couldn’t use the plane’s radio on a whim back in – oh, 2003 (first airplane wifi came about in 2004 apparently). There are some layers to this thought.