I enjoyed the Each One Teach One technology presentations, as I got to learn about new technologies and learn more about some that I use every day. My favorite topic that I learned about was Josiah's presentation about carrier pigeons.
Carrier Pigeons
During Josiah's EOTO presentation, I learned about how pigeons were used to deliver messages across distances.
The pigeons, referred to as Carrier Pigeons, would deliver mail during the Roman Empire. They were also popular in the Middle East. The most common method of mail delivery was by horse, but the wealthy could use carrier pigeons because they did a faster job. The pigeons were also useful for sending messages during WW1 and WW2.
The British Royal Family has been collecting pigeons for racing for a long time, which Josiah believes gave the species a purpose and is the reason for their large population.
I thought it was an interesting point for him to bring up the large pigeon population and connect it to their work. I agree with Josiah that the British collection of pigeons could relate to their liveliness. I did not know the British enjoyed collecting them and setting them up in races!
That is really interesting to me because when I think of a pigeon, I think of a bird walking around near restaurants in New York that people are shooing away. Meanwhile, a British person might take it for their entertainment.
My Thoughts
One question I have about carrier pigeons is how does the bird know where it's going? I am guessing they are bribed by food and treats by whoever is receiving the mail.
I also wonder how much weight the pigeons could hold and comfortably take flight with. I imagine that however the mail attached to them, it was uncomfortable and potentially disrupted their flying abilities.
Finally, I am curious about whether carrier pigeons could only fly in nice weather conditions. If you need to ship mail on a rainy day, can you do it or do you have to wait for clear conditions?
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