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TheProblemOfTheSnakesWhenIcalledupmymotherinthecountrysideonthetelephoneshewasveryupset.Therearesomesnakesinourcourtyard,shetoldme.Snakescomenearthehousenowandthen,andtheyseemtohavemadetheirhomehere,notfarfromthewalnuttree.Canyougetridofthemplease?Ifeltveryproud.Herewasachancefor.metodistinguishmyselfbyinventingsomethingmercifulthatwouldcatchsnakesbutnotharmthem.Iknewmyparentswouldnotlikemetohurttheselivingcreatures!ThefirstthingIdidwastoseeiftherewereanyproductsthatmighthelpme,butthereonlyseemedtobepowdersdesignedtokillsnakes.Anewapproachwasclearlyneeded.Isetaboutresearchingthehabitsofsnakestofindtheeasiestwaytotrapthem.Luckilythesereptilesaresmallandthatmadethesolutioneasier.Preparedwithsomeresearchfindings,Idecidedonthreepossibleapproaches:firstly,removingtheirhabitat;secondly,attractingthemintoatrapusingmaleorfemaleperfumeorfood;andthirdlycoolingthemsothattheywouldbecomesleepyandcouldbeeasilycaught.Idecidedtousethelastone.Iboughtanice-creammakerwhichwasmadeofstainlesssteel.Betweentheoutsideandtheinsidewallsofthebowlthereissomejelly,whichfreezeswhencooled.Iputthebowlintothefridgeandwaitedfor24hours.AtthesametimeIpreparedsomeice-cubes.ThenextmorningIgotupearlybeforethesunwashot.Iplacedthefrozenbowloverthesnakes'habitatandtheice-cubesontopofthebowltokeepitcool.FinallyIcoveredthewholethingwithalargebucket.ThenIwaited.AftertwohoursIremovedthebucketandthebowl.Thesnakeswerelessactivebuttheywerestilltoofastforme.Theyabruptlydisappearedintoaconvenientholeinthewall.SoIhadtoadjustmyplan.ForthesecondattemptIfrozethebowlandtheice-cubesagainbutplacedthemoverthesnakes'habitatintheevening,asthetemperaturewasstartingtocool.Thenasbefore,Icoveredthebowlwiththebucketandlefteverythingovernight.EarlythenextmorningIreturnedtoseetheresult.ThistimewithgreatcautionIbentdowntoexaminethesnakesandIfoundthemverysleepy.Butoncepickedup,theytriedtobiteme.Astheywerepoisonoussnakes,Iclearlyneededtoimprovemydesignagain.Mythirdattemptrepeatedthesecondprocedure.ThenextmorningIcarriedinmyhandasmallnetusedforcatchingfish.Thiswasintheexpectationthatthesnakeswouldbiteagain.Butmonitoredcarefully,thesnakesprovedtobenotroubleandallwentaccordingtoplan.Icollectedthepassivesnakesandthenextdaywemerrilyreleasedthemallbackintothewild.Pressedbymyfriendsandrelations,Idecidedtoseizetheopportunitytogetrecognitionformysuccessfulideabysendingmyinventiontothepatentoffice.Onlyafteryouhavehadthatrecognitioncanyousaythatyouaretrulyaninventor.Thecriteriaaresostrictthatitisdifficulttogetnewideasacceptedunlesstheyaretrulynovel.Inaddition,noinventionwillgetapatentifitis:adiscoveryascientificideaormathematicalmodelliteratureorartagameorabusinessacomputerprogrammeanewanimalorplantvarietyNorwillyoureceiveapatentuntilasearchhasbeenmadetofindoutthatyourproductreallyisdifferentfromeveryoneelse's.Therearealargenumberofpatentexaminers,too,whoseonlyjobistoexaminewhetheryourclaimisvalidornot.Ifitpassesallthetests,yourapplicationforapatentwillbepublished18monthsfromthedateyouapply.SoIhavefilledintheformandfiledmypatentapplicationwiththePatentOffice.Nowit'samatterofwaitingandhoping.You'llknowifIsucceedbythesizeofmybankbalance!Wishmeluck!ALEXANDERGRAHAMBELLAlexanderGrahamBellwasbornin1847inScotland,butwhenhewasyounghisfamilymovedtoBoston,USA.Hismotherwasalmostentirelydeaf,soAlexanderbecameinterestedinhelpingdeafpeoplecommunicateandindeafeducation.Thisinterestledhimtoinventthemicrophone.Hefoundthatbypressinghislipsagainsthismother'sforehead,hecouldmakehismotherunderstandwhathewassaying.Hebelievedthatoneshouldalwaysbecuriousandhismostfamoussayingwas:Leavethebeatentrackoccasionallyanddiveintothewoods.Everytimeyoudoyouwillbecertaintofindsomethingthatyouhaveneverseenbefore.Followitup,exploreallaroundit,andbeforeyouknowit,youwillhavesomethingworththinkingabouttooccupyyourmind.Allreallybigdiscoveriesaretheresultofthought.Itwasthisexploringaroundproblemsandhisdynamicspiritthatledtohismostfamousinvention-thetelephonein1876.Bellneversetouttoinventthetelephoneandwhathewastryingtodesignwasamultipletelegraph.ThisoriginaltelegraphsentamessageoverdistancesusingMorsecode(aseriesofdotstappedoutalongawireinaparticularorder).Butonlyonemessagecouldgoatatime.Bellwantedtoimproveitsothatitcouldsendseveralmessagesatthesametime.Hedesignedamachinethatwouldseparatedifferentsoundwavesandallowdifferentconversationstobeheldatthesametime.Buthefoundtheproblemdifficulttosolve.Onedayashewasexperimentingwithoneendofastrawjoinedtoadeafman'seardrumandtheothertoapieceofsmokedglass,Bellnoticedthatwhenhespokeintotheear,thestrawdrewsoundwavesontheglass.Suddenlyhehadaflashofinspiration.Ifsoundwavescouldbereproducedinamovingelectricalcurrent,theycouldbesentalongawire.Insearchingtoimprovethetelegraph,Bellhadinventedthefirsttelephone!Bellwasfullyawareoftheimportanceofhisinventionandwrotetohisfather:Thedayiscomingwhentelegraphwireswillbelaidontohousesjustlikewaterorgas–andfriendswilltalktoeachotherwithoutleavinghome.Thepatentwasgivenin1876,butitwasnotuntilfivedayslaterthatBellsenthisfirsttelephonemessagetohisassistantWatson.