History of the Telephone: 150th anniversary special

The podcast explores the invention and early adoption of the telephone, contrasting it with the preceding technology of the telegraph. It highlights Alexander Graham Bell's role, along with rival inventors like Elisha Gray and Antonio Meucci, examining the social impact of the telephone, including anxieties about privacy, etiquette, and gender roles. The discussion touches on the employment of women as telephone operators ("Hello Girls") and the surprising choice of "hello" as the standard greeting, crediting Thomas Edison. The economic implications of telegraphy and the telephone are discussed with the failed Western Union deal. The conversation also covers technical challenges like crossed wires and the advent of party lines.