Bells Labs Holmdel, NJ facility has been sold by Lucent Technologies & will be demolished soon. And no one cares. It should be protected on the National Register of Historic Sites or converted to a museum.
The scientists & engineers of Bell Labs brought seminal technological discoveries to the marketplace— technology we take for granted. Join to save Bell Labs now! Spread the word to protect it from the wrecking ball.
Where do I to begin to describe the tech pioneer Bell Labs? If Bell Labs were only remembered for building the world’s greatest communications system that would be enough. Without Bell Labs there might not have been a 800 phone network or 911, call-waiting or caller ID. But there was so much more.
Let’s start with the discovery of the revolutionary transistor in 1947, stereo recording, the first long distance TV transmission, the laser (1958), the first FAX machine, the touch tone telephone (1963), digital signal processor (1979), modems, first orbiting communications satelite (Telstar I, 1962), fiber optics, pioneered the first trials of DSL technology, the first commercial mobile telephone service and, what many will argue is the Holy Grail of modern technology, UNIX & C programming language (1969-72), which made the Internet practical.
Bell Labs scientists have won 11 Nobel prizes, 9 US National Medals of Science & 12 distinguished Computers & Communications awards from Japan, to cite but a few awards. Bell Labs inventions here.
The Internet community ought to act to save the Bell Labs facility & make it a historical site or a museum of technology. Pass the word through the innovations Bell Labs helped create. Do it now before this important home of technological history is turned into a parking lot or mall.
Update:
Ryan Block of Engadget joins the crusade to help bring awareness to possibly preserve this Tech Landmark or at least a piece of it, here and find our follow up here.
Update 2: Others that have picked up the story
Jupiter Research - Joseph Laszlo
Congrats on getting Engadget to join your campaign! That will definitely boost awareness!
How about starting an online petition? http://www.petitiononline.com/petition.html
I’d sign for sure.
AN OPEN LETTER TO PREI Regarding recent acquisition of the Bell Labs / Lucent Technologies Holmdel Facility:
I worked at this Holmdel facility, contributing to Bluetooth before it was mainstream, as a 16-year-old high school summer student, and again as a college Junior working on life-saving cell phone technology. I can offer only personal experience and humble opinion.
Every day I set foot in this facility, I felt honored to walk the same halls as Nobel Prize winners, brilliant scientists, and the superstars and idols of the research and development world. A brisk ascent to the top of the big green hill offered a quasi-religious experience for a young technophile, and gazing up at the worlds first RADAR antennae left me with inspiration, and a sense of awe and wonder. My supervisor comically referred to them as “Big Toys” - with a smirk that revealed his deep and abiding RESPECT for the decades of scientific discovery these inventions stood for. And I always felt that these treasures should be shared with the world.
With the acquisition of this property, there stands a one-time immense opportunity to hunt for, dig up, gather and present the remarkable stories of remarkable individuals who have paced Holmdel’s halls - seeking answers to impossible questions, and devoting their lives to connecting people across the globe. Today, we take their work for granted - we have here a simple and powerful way to honor their legacy.
No doubt, the facility as it stands will need some dedicated individuals to convert the site to a museum-worthy historical preservation site, but in a country which increasingly idolizes sports stars and Hollywood celebrities, a little inspiration for scientifically minded youth could go a long way. It certainly did for me.
Alternatively, this developer can choose to replace the history-laden laboratories with office space. The thought of such a rich and landmark-worthy estate buried beneath the sands of time truly saddens me.
The fact remains that this facility stands as a rare gem of scientific legacy for both NJ and the United States. I can already see the class-trip school busses rolling in. Where else in this country will you find this kind opportunity for preservation of innovation history?
Thank you for your open ears and hearts.