Born A Century Ago, PHILO FARNSWORTH Changed Your Life

(From The Associated Press/Philadelpia Inquirer -- By Frazier Moore)

Fish don't know they're living in water, nor do they stop to wonder where the water came from.

Humans? Not much better, as we share a world engulfed by television. And the deeper our immersion becomes, the less likely it seems we'll poke our heads above the surface and see there must have been life before someone invented TV.

That invisible someone was PHILO T. FARNSWORTH, who was fated to live and work, then die, in sad obscurity. Now, on the centennial of his birth on August 19th, 1906, his invention plays an increasingly powerful role in our lives -- with less chance than ever of his being recognized.

How ironic! In this media-savvy age, not only should his name be as widely known as ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL's or THOMAS EDISON's, but his long, lean face with the bulbous brow should be as familiar as any pop icon's. He should be the patron saint of every couch potato.

Instead, we regard TV not as a man-made contraption, but a natural resource.

Born A Century Ago, Philo Farnsworth Changed Your Life