Today, while I was driving home, I heard a sound,
even while the windows of my car were closed.
I knew instantly what it was and how to respond, as did the other cars
around me. It was the siren of an
ambulance. We are trained to become
alert to this, and other sounds like it, similar to the way we recognize and
respond to beacons. Just as visual cues
can inform us of our surroundings, so too can auditory. And for longer than anyone can remember,
humans, and animals, have taken advantage of these many different kinds of
alarm signals.
Modern usages of the word “alarm” tend to be
associated with electronic devices, such as smoke detectors. But the origin of the word, according to
dictionary.com, comes from the French for “the call to arms” ("Alarm")
The word “alert” has a similar definition,
originally meaning “to be on the lookout”.
The fundamental difference between the two is that the latter calls for
vigilance, whereas the former calls for action. ("Alert")
It’s no wonder then why you may sometimes feel like
murdering your alarm, as the word was clearly born of a violent past. The alarm system has been employed by animals
since time immemorial. In mammals (and
humans), it tends to be a vocal response to warn or direct others, but other
species sometimes use non-vocal methods to create alarm sounds.
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| Borrowed from: in-bruges.co.uk |
Over time though, humans developed more efficient ways
to call others to arms than by voice alone.
Prior to electricity, the bell tower was a popular alarm tool. The Belfry of Bruges, for example, dates back
to before the 13th century A.D., and was used to warn of fires and
other dangers. Bell towers have also traditionally
been used to announce less dire events such as marriages, funerals, or simply
the time. (The Belfry)
Civil alarms, like bell towers, have since been
replaced by electronic counterparts. Directed
at a large population, like a city or a town, sirens were very common
throughout America, especially during the Cold War era, due to fear of bombing. They were used both as a general warning to
citizens, and to warn specifically of an attack. (Sirens)
In modern times, we still use many different kinds
of alarms. From your phone, to your car,
they are still vital ways of relaying information. But how will they be used in the future? I’m sure ringers of bells never would have
imagined a technology like the electronic siren, so it’s reasonable to posit
that we also have not reached the pinnacle of technology in this area. One can imagine a future where humans have
spread across the stars and neither sound, nor even light are fast enough means
of communication. In this future, when
danger approaches, humanity must use a technology so advanced from now that goes
beyond even our wildest imaginations.
Works cited:
"Alarm." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 10 April 2013.
"Alert." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 10 April 2013
"The Belfry." in-bruges.co.uk. in-bruges.co.uk, n.d. Web. 10 April 2013
"Sirens." Civildefensemuseum.com. Civil Defense Museum, n.d. Web. 10 April 2013
Great post here. I think of the word "alarm" and it automatically gives me some butterflies in my gut--for many of us it signals a panic or fear that something is wrong. I was at my brother's house a few weeks ago taking care of his dogs when he was out of town, and I accidentally hit the wrong entry code on his alarm system. I cannot tell you the pain of that racket going off until I called him and had him shut it off remotely. Alarms can be both a warning and a deterrent, it seems.
ReplyDeleteWonderful historical context and discussion here!