Science
The Origin Story of HAM: The First Amateur Wireless Station Call in 1908
Discover the origin story of HAM, the first amateur wireless station call in 1908, and the history behind this iconic term.
Last Updated on July 3, 2024 by Daily News Staff
Origins of HAM
The word “HAM” has an interesting origin story in the world of amateur radio. In 1908, a group of amateurs from the Harvard Radio Club, consisting of Albert S. Hyman, Bob Almy, and Poogie Murray, set up the first amateur wireless station. Initially, they called their station “Hyman-Almy-Murray,” which was quite a mouthful. They needed something shorter, snappier, and more memorable.
It was during a conversation with a fellow operator that the group stumbled upon the word “ham.” The operator in question had commented that their signals were “hammy,” which meant that they were distorted and hard to understand. The group embraced this word and decided to adopt it as their station call. And thus, the first amateur wireless station became known as “HAM.”
The word “ham” quickly caught on and became a popular term among amateur radio operators. It’s easy to see why. It’s short, catchy, and memorable. And it has a certain charm to it that just rolls off the tongue. But beyond its linguistic appeal, the word “ham” also had a deeper meaning for those early radio enthusiasts.
Amateur radio was a new and exciting technology at the time, and it was still largely unregulated. Operators were free to experiment and explore, and there was a sense of camaraderie and shared enthusiasm among those who were working with this new technology. The word “ham” embodied this spirit of experimentation and exploration. It was a nod to the fact that these operators were “amateurs” in the truest sense of the word – they were doing this for the love of the hobby, not for any financial gain or professional recognition.
Over time, the word “ham” became more than just a station call. It became a term of endearment for those who were part of the amateur radio community. It was a way of identifying oneself as a member of this exclusive group, and it was a source of pride and identity.
Today, the word “ham” is still widely used in the world of amateur radio. It’s a reminder of the early days of this technology – a time when radio was still a wild and uncharted frontier. And it’s a tribute to those early pioneers who paved the way for the hobby that we know and love today.
Amateur radio, affectionately called “ham radio,” has continued to evolve and adapt with the times. From its early experiments with spark-gap transmitters to today’s sophisticated digital modes, the spirit of innovation and exploration remains at its core. Modern hams can communicate using voice, text, and even images, bouncing signals off satellites or the moon. The International Space Station even has its own ham radio station, enabling astronauts to connect with amateur radio enthusiasts back on Earth.
The broader ham community also plays an invaluable role in public service. During natural disasters and emergencies, when conventional communication systems fail, amateur radio operators step in to provide critical communication links. Their dedication and skill have saved countless lives and helped communities recover from crises.
This vibrant global community is made up of enthusiasts from all walks of life, sharing their knowledge and fostering a mutual appreciation for the art and science of communication. Clubs and gatherings, both in-person and online, offer opportunities to grow and learn together, emphasizing the strong sense of camaraderie that has been a hallmark of ham radio since its inception.
As technology continues to advance, one thing remains certain: the spirit of “ham” will endure, inspiring future generations of amateur radio operators to push the boundaries of what’s possible, just as those enterprising young men from Harvard did over a century ago.
In conclusion, the word “ham” has a rich and fascinating history in the world of amateur radio. It’s a symbol of the spirit of exploration and experimentation that drove the early pioneers of this technology. And it’s a reminder of the camaraderie and sense of community that has always been at the heart of the amateur radio hobby. So the next time you hear the word “ham” in the context of amateur radio, remember the story behind it and the legacy that it represents.
More information on HAM and amateur radio origins and operations reveals a rich history dating back to the early 20th century. Initially used by hobbyists and experimenters, HAM radio quickly became a valuable tool for long-distance communication and emergency services. Operators, known as “hams,” often build their own equipment and communicate with others around the world using various frequency bands allocated for amateur use. The community thrives on a culture of learning and experimentation, with organizations like the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) providing support and advocacy for enthusiasts. Today, HAM radio remains a popular and vital means of communication, bridging gaps where modern technology may falter, and continues to attract new generations of operators dedicated to exploring the limits of radio science. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_radio_operator
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Author
Tech
Drones paired with AI could help search‑and‑rescue teams find missing persons faster
AI-powered drones equipped with thermal and infrared imaging are transforming search-and-rescue operations, enabling teams to locate missing persons faster and assess their condition—including signs of injury, consciousness, or life-threatening temperature changes—in real time.
Adeel Khalid, Kennesaw State University
A combination of infrared imaging, thermal imaging and color cameras on an uncrewed drone, along with an AI system to interpret the data, can help emergency responders and search-and-rescue teams locate, identify and track people who have gone missing in the wilderness. The experimental system helps responders pinpoint where a missing person is and determine whether they are hurt or even alive.
People who get lost or hurt while exploring nature can become stranded for days. Rescue teams often use drones to look for the person or signs of their whereabouts. The small drone my colleagues and I built at my lab at Kennesaw State University flies autonomously using a grid search pattern. It sends live video and images to a ground station operated by the rescue team.
When the AI system finds a person, it analyzes images to determine whether the individual is upright or lying on the ground. It segments parts of the person’s body, identifying the person’s head and the body’s position. It then zeroes in on the forehead. It extracts forehead temperature readings, pixel by pixel, from the imaging data to estimate forehead temperature. We have two papers detailing these findings accepted for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Aviation Forum 2026 conference.
Our AI model then assesses whether the person is conscious or unconscious and identifies abnormal temperatures that could indicate heat stress, hypothermia or other physical complications, or death – all vital information for a search-and-rescue team.
In field trials we have conducted, the system has provided consistent temperature readings of the heads of volunteers from our research team who have walked out into a variety of environments, under different conditions.
Why it matters
It is critical to get accurate and timely information on the whereabouts of a missing person. The likelihood that the person will survive decreases steeply as time passes.
An AI-enhanced drone can make search-and-rescue operations significantly more efficient than sending teams of people out into the environment to search on foot, especially in poor weather conditions or under thick foliage. Rescuers who know whether a person is conscious or unconscious can also better gear up for what they need to do to retrieve the person and administer aid. Our technology could save lives.
What other research is being done
Search-and-rescue personnel use various kinds of drones, but the machines often lack the ability to positively identify humans, especially under thick foliage, in bad weather or when the person is lying down or unconscious. The AI-based technology we have developed overcomes those challenges.
Better sensors that are very lightweight, that can function at night or in rain, and can see more clearly through thick foliage could further improve our drone and drones used by others. Researchers are devising AI-powered sound recognition for detecting screams for help, advanced thermal imaging for better nighttime vision and autonomous drones that could act as first responders.
Also under development are drones that can carry heavy payloads, such as flotation devices, fly for up to 14 hours or perform real-time mapping of the ground below.
What’s next
One of our next steps is to have multiple drones fly together and autonomously coordinate search-and-rescue operations among themselves. This will allow the technology to cover a much larger area, perhaps hundreds of square miles.
We are also designing a large drone that can carry up to 110 pounds (50 kilograms) of payload and stay aloft for an hour.
The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.
Adeel Khalid, Professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering, Kennesaw State University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Author
The Knowledge
Mosquitoes carrying malaria are evolving more quickly than insecticides can kill them – researchers pinpoint how
Jacob A Tennessen, Harvard University
The fight against infectious disease is a race against evolution. Bacteria become resistant to antibiotics. Viruses adapt to spread more quickly. Diseases transmitted by insects present another evolutionary front: Insects themselves can evolve resistance to the poisons that people use to kill them.
In particular, the mosquito-borne disease malaria kills over 600,000 people annually. Since World War II, people have battled malaria with insecticides – chemical weapons intended to kill Anopheles mosquitoes infected with the Plasmodium parasites that cause the disease.
However, mosquitoes are quickly evolving counterstrategies that make these insecticides ineffective, putting millions of people at greater risk of deadly infection. My colleagues and I have newly published research showing how.
Insecticide resistance threatens public health
As an evolutionary geneticist, I study natural selection – the basis for adaptive evolution. Genetic variants that best promote survival can replace less advantageous versions, causing species to change. Anopheles mosquitoes are frustratingly adept at evolving.
In the mid-1990s, most African Anopheles were susceptible to pyrethroids, a popular type of insecticide originally derived from chrysanthemums. Anopheles control relies on two pyrethroid-based methods: insecticide-treated bed nets to protect sleepers, and indoor residual spraying of insecticide against the walls of homes. These two methods alone likely prevented over a half-billion cases of malaria between 2000 and 2015.
However, mosquitoes today from Ghana to Malawi are often able to survive insecticide concentrations 10 times the previously lethal dose. Along with Anopheles control efforts, agriculture also inadvertently exposes mosquitoes to pyrethroids and contributes to insecticide resistance.
In some African locales, Anopheles is already showing resistance to all four main classes of insecticide used for malaria control.
Adaptation in Latin American mosquitoes
Anopheles mosquitoes and the malaria-causing Plasmodium also occur outside Africa, where insecticide resistance is less well-researched.
In much of South America, the main malaria vector is Anopheles darlingi. This mosquito species has diverged evolutionarily from the African vectors so extensively that it might be a different genus, Nyssorhynchus. Along with colleagues from eight countries, I analyzed over 1,000 Anopheles darlingi genomes to understand its genetic diversity, including any recent changes due to human activity. My collaborators collected these mosquitoes at 16 locations ranging from the Atlantic coast of Brazil to the Pacific side of the Andes in Colombia.
We found that, like its African counterparts, Anopheles darlingi shows extremely high genetic diversity – more than 20 times that of humans – indicating that very large populations of this insect exist. A species with such a vast gene pool is well poised to adapt to new challenges. The right mutation giving it the advantage it needs is more likely to pop up when there are so many individuals. And once that mutation starts to spread, it’s protected by numbers since it won’t be wiped out if a few mosquitoes die by chance.
In contrast, bald eagles in the contiguous U.S. were never able to evolve resistance against the insecticide DDT and approached extinction. Evolution is more efficient among millions of insects than mere thousands of birds. And indeed, we saw signals of adaptive evolution in the resistance-related genes of Anopheles darlingi occurring over the past few decades.
Mosquitoes evolve to detoxify poisons
Insecticides like pyrethroids and DDT share the same molecular target: channels in nerve cells that can open and close. When open, the nerve cell stimulates other cells. These insecticides force the channels to remain open and continuously fire, causing paralysis and death. However, insects can evolve resistance by changing the shape of the channel itself.
Earlier genetic scans performed by other researchers had not detected this type of resistance in Anopheles darlingi, and neither did ours. Instead, we found that resistance is evolving in another way: a group of genes encoding enzymes that break down toxic compounds. High activity of these enzymes, called P450, frequently underlies resistance to insecticides in other mosquitoes. The same cluster of P450 genes has changed independently at least seven times across South America since insecticide use began in the mid-20th century.
In French Guiana, a different set of P450 genes exhibits a similar evolutionary pattern, cementing the clear connection between these enzymes and adaptation. Moreover, when we exposed mosquitoes to pyrethroids in sealed bottles, differences among the P450 genes of individual mosquitoes were linked to the length of time they stayed alive.
Insecticide-heavy campaigns against malaria have been only sporadic in South America and may not be the main driver behind this evolution. Instead, it’s possible that mosquitoes are being exposed indirectly to agricultural insecticides. Intriguingly, we saw the strongest signs of evolution in places where farming is prevalent.
Toward more sophisticated vector control
Despite new vaccines and other recent advances against malaria, mosquito control remains essential for reducing disease.
Some countries are launching trials of gene drives to control malaria, which involve forcing a genetic modification into a mosquito population to reduce their numbers or their tolerance for Plasmodium. Such prospects are exciting, though the relentless adaptability of mosquitoes could be an obstacle.
I and others are revising methods to efficiently test for emerging insecticide resistance. Genome-scale sequencing remains important to detect new or unexpected evolutionary responses. The risk of adaptation is highest under a continuous, strong selection pressure, so minimizing, switching and staggering pesticides can help thwart resistance.
Success in the fight against evolving resistance will require a coordinated effort of monitoring, and reacting accordingly. Unlike evolution, humans can think ahead.
Jacob A Tennessen, Research Scientist in Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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home improvement
Simple Ways to Make At-Home Recycling More Effective
To create a more eco-friendly household, consider these practical tips to help you reduce waste, stay organized and make at-home recycling part of your everyday routine.
Simple Ways to Make At-Home Recycling More Effective
(Feature Impact) Recycling is a simple way households can reduce waste and help protect natural resources. While many communities offer curbside recycling programs, some people still wonder if they’re doing it correctly or if they’re missing opportunities to recycle more.
To create a more eco-friendly household, consider these practical tips to help you reduce waste, stay organized and make recycling part of your everyday routine.
Know What Your Local Program Accepts
Recycling rules vary depending on your city or waste management provider. Most curbside programs include items like cardboard, paper, aluminum cans and plastics, but others – such as glass – may require drop-off recycling. Review your community guidelines so recyclables don’t accidentally end up in the regular trash.
Create a Simple Sorting System
Set up clearly labeled bins – separated for paper, plastics and metals – in a high-traffic area like the kitchen, garage or laundry room.
Rinse Before You Recycle
Food residue can contaminate other recyclables and may cause entire batches of materials to be rejected during the recycling process. Quickly rinsing yogurt cups, jars or soup cans of leftover residue helps keep recycling streams clean and more likely to be processed properly.
Break Down Boxes
Cardboard boxes are among the most commonly recycled household materials. Flattening boxes before placing them in the recycling bin saves space and allows collection trucks to hold more.
Compost Food Scraps
Not everything belongs in the recycling bin, particularly food waste. Composting fruit peels, vegetable scraps, coffee grounds and eggshells is an easy way to reduce the amount of trash your household produces. Finished compost can be used in gardens, flower beds or houseplants, turning kitchen waste into a valuable resource.
Find more ideas for making recycling a natural part of your household routine at eLivingtoday.com.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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