Communication

Question 1

What did the San hunter gatherers use to communicate whilst hunting?

Answer 1

Hands signals

Question 2

What is the most common form of communication?

Answer 2

Speaking words

Question 3

How did early humans communicate?

Answer 3

With sounds to pass on simple messages, which over time became words.

Question 4

What was another way that the San used to communicate?

Answer 4

Painting or scratching pictures on the walls of caves about their religion and way of life

Question 5

What was one of the forms of communication used by ancient Africans?

Answer 5

History and life lessons were taught through songs, often accompanied by musical instruments.

Question 6

How did the first sailors passing through the Cape send letters to their family in Europe?

Answer 6

They left letters under a special stone on Robben Island. Ships passing by on the way back to Europe picked up the letters and took them with them.

Question 7

How did the early Dutch and British settlers at the Cape get a message to someone inland?

Answer 7

At first farmers and runners carried the mail inland. In 1843, the first mail coach (the Royal Mail Coach) left Cape Town for Swellendam, carrying passengers and mail.

Question 8

How does the modern postal system work?

Answer 8

Senders buy a stamp or pay in advance for postage.letters or parcels are placed in a mailbox.

Question 9

Who invented the first telephone in 1876?

Answer 9

Alexander Graham Bell

Question 10

Why do you think Alexander Graham Bell was”lucky”?

Answer 10

Another man, Elisha Grey, also invented a telephone, but Bell registered his invention a few hours before Grey.

Question 11

What did Heinrich Hertz prove?

Answer 11

In 1885, he proved that electric waves travel through the air.

Question 12

Who was Marconi?

Answer 12

He was an Italian teenager who was fascinated by Herz’s discovery about electric waves traveling through air. In 1895 he succeeded in using these waves to send messages through the air without wires.

Question 13

What were the problems with Marconi’s first “wireless”?

Answer 13

It couldn’t be used for speech or music, but later scientists managed to improve on the design so that it could play music and people’s voices.

Question 14

What were the first photos like?

Answer 14

They were difficult to develop, needing to be developed in a dark room. Photos had to be taken in a studio where the light could be controlled. Cameras were big and difficult to use.

Question 15

Which camera manufacturer helped more people to own cameras?

Answer 15

Kodak

Question 16

When did the first television transmissions begin?

Answer 16

Television started in the 1930s in other parts of the world, but only started in South Africa in 1976.

Question 17

Who was responsible for designing a computer that was small enough for everyone to use?

Answer 17

Bill Gates, who is now one of the richest men in the world.

Question 18

What was the computer like before the introductions of the personal computer?

Answer 18

They were large and only universities and big businesses had them. One computer could fill a whole room.

Question 19

When was the internet developed, and who developed it?

Answer 19

In 1994 a computer programmer, Bill Joy, experimented with a wireless network, called the Internet or World Wide Web (www).

Question 20

What did Martin Cooper do before anyone else?

Answer 20

He made the first portable cellphone call on 3 April 1973, allowing people to talk to someone else while moving around.

Question 21

Name five oldest forms of human communication

Answer 21

Language, symbols, songs, art and dance.