Scottish inventions and discoveries solely to the subject, as well as scores of websites listing Scottish inventions and discoveries with varying degrees of science. Even before the Industrial Revolution, Scots have been at the forefront of innovation and discovery across a wide range of spheres. Some of the most significant products of Scottish ingenuity include James Watt's steam engine, improving on that of Thomas Newcomen, the bicycle, macadamisation (not to be confused with tarmac or tarmacadam), Alexander Graham Bell's invention of the first practical telephone, John Logie Baird's invention of television, Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin and insulin. The following is a list of
Condenser telephone (copper or steel) circuit for both legs of the circuit. This basic telephone circuit was known as a Buzzer, or more commonly, a Condenser Telephone Circuit. A patent registered by François van Rysselberghe (1846-1893) in 1882 is thought to be the original invention of the basis of the phonopore (condensor) method. The technique was developed and improved by Charles Langdon-Davies in 1890, particularly with the invention of a method to call between phones Patents were lodged for improved versions of instruments for commercial use including one lodged by Ellis F Frost in 1902. The system worked over a single aerial