Imagine going to the movies and not having color or sound in the show you watch. You would have to depend entirely on the actions and facial expressions of the actors to know what was going on in the story. Prior to the 1930s that's exactly how movies were and audiences did not expect actors to talk because there was no technology to make sound possible for the movie. But by the 1930s new technology was developed that allowed movies to add sound. For the first time, audiences could hear the conversations of the actors. Movies became known for a time as "talking picture shows."
Today we take sound in our movies for granted. We can't imagine a time when movies had no sound. In fact, we not only have sound, we now have stereo surround sound, 3D images, and amazing special effects--all made possible by advances in movie-making technology. In this lesson, you will learn more about the process of technological design and how technology can be used to advance the work of science, just as it advances many other parts of our lives, like going to the movies.
