Nothing is Impossible, it Just Takes Longer

Philo T. Farnsworth is a name that hardly any of us associate with genius. It is a name that should be printed in history books and talked about with the names of other fantastic inventors. Philo is the man who invented one of the devices that impacts most Americans daily – the electronic television. For an invention so great and legendary, why is his name not recognized for his success? During the time of his discoveries, others kept him out of power.

Philo was born a Mormon in rural farm country. He was a hard worker, but always fascinated by technology, which he saw little of. As he become more involved in his work, he moved to a city to further his electronic television research. Along with moving into the city came competition and rivalry. His competition, Vladimir, had the funds to spy on Philo through radio signals. He also had the funds to fight Philo’s patent decision and stall his success. Philo’s invention of electronic television was debuted in Philadelphia, but no one really acknowledged it until the same device was presented later in New York. New York welcomed all those with prestige and power – the media was also there. So this was the event that received attention and press. Because Philo wasn’t a celebrity, his achievements were sold short.

This is an example of how money can get some people the attention they are seeking. This was unfair to Philo. He was from a small, rural town and did not know how to handle himself in a competitive, cutthroat ordeal. It was not right to ignore Philo because of his gentle and peaceful disposition. Also, because he was not rich to begin with, he received less media attention. This is still so true today. The people who we see making a difference in this world are the stars. Angelina Jolie is doing great things across the world, and she is given much attention because of it. The fact we need to realize is that there are others who are doing the same exact thing; they are just not rich like Angelina.

Now that we know that there are inventors in the world who are not given credit for their genius, it is up to us to seek out this history that can be pushed aside by those who are perceived to be powerful. It will not be impossible to discover individuals who have gone unrecognized, it will just take us a little bit longer.