Few days ago on The European Physical Journal H has been published “Guglielmo Marconi, Augusto Righi and the invention of wireless telegraphy”, an article by Nadia Robotti and Matteo Leone.
The two researchers reconstruct the history of the invention of wireless telegraphy, based on the relationship between Guglielmo Marconi and Augusto Righi.
One of the major achievements of applied physics in the late nineteenth century was, as is well known, the development of wireless telegraphy by Guglielmo Marconi, future Nobel Prize winner.
In the article, it is explored what scientific debt, if any, Marconi had towards another Italian physicist, internationally known for his research on electromagnetic waves: Augusto Righi.
This question will be investigated through a careful analysis of Marconi’s first patent, Righi’s scientific correspondence, and the specialized and popular press of the time.
At the end of this analysis, which includes a brief review of Marconi’s and Righi’s activities as senators of the Kingdom of Italy, we will reconstruct what Marconi took from contemporary scientists, what specific contributions he was responsible for and, ultimately, what Marconi and Righi thought of each other.
To read the full article click on this link.