The Phonautograph and Precursors to Edison's Phonograph. An 1859 Koenig phonautograph. (Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution.) While Thomas Edison is rightly credited with the invention of the cylinder phonograph and the means of playing back sound, his ideas were clearly influenced by numerous others who preceded him.
The best time to go whale watching in Oahu is November through May, as these months see the arrival of the humpback whales on their migration from Alaska. These creatures can weigh up to 45 tons, and marine specialists estimate that some 10,000 of them spend their winters near the Hawaiian islands.
Watch for whales from Neahkahnie Mountain on the Oregon Coast. Oregonâs whale watching season peaks twice a year: during winter (mid-Decemberâmid-January) and spring (late FebruaryâMay). Thatâs when as many as 20,000 gray whales migrate between the icy seas of Alaska and their breeding lagoons in Baja California, Mexico.