Have you ever wanted to know the science behind those smartphone messages you send daily and what digital conversations will look like in the future? Live Science is here to guide you through the complex, compelling and ever-changing world of human communications. From facts about 5G to how a cosmic-ray 'GPS' system could change the way we respond to disasters; and from why Facebook will be littered with 'zombie' profiles to how wireless devices overwhelm nature's signals, our expert writers and editors have communications covered with the latest news, articles and features.
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Science history: First computer-to-computer message lays the foundation for the internet, but it crashes halfway through — Oct. 29, 1969
Messages transmitted between two computers located about 380 miles apart would form the basis of what would become the internet.
Science history: First two-way phone call across outdoor lines made by Alexander Graham Bell — Oct. 9, 1876
Science history On Oct. 9, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell made a telephone call to his assistant a few miles away — the first demonstration of what would ultimately become a global telephone network.
Scientists invent 'Pulse-Fi' prototype — a Wi-Fi heart rate monitor that's cheaper to set up than the best wearable devices
Engineers are in the early stages of harnessing Wi-Fi as a way to monitor heart rates, but don't expect to use your home router anytime soon.
Scientists develop 'full-spectrum' 6G chip that could transfer data at 100 gigabits per second — 10,000 times faster than 5G
Researchers have developed a 6G chip that uses a dual electro-photonic approach to send signals across nine radio-frequency bands.
Google has turned 2 billion smartphones into a global earthquake warning system — it's as effective as seismometers, tests show
Google's earthquake early-warning system has used phone accelerometers on Android devices to increase quake alerts by tenfold across 98 countries.
Japan sets new internet speed record — it's 4 million times faster than average US broadband speeds
A team of scientists in Japan shattered the record for the fastest internet speed by developing new fiber optics.
Your data is being compromised much quicker than ever before, but you don't have to sit still and take it
Your personal privacy depends on your awareness, tech controls that allow you to decide what to share, and public policies that take personal privacy into account.
New 'super laser' amplifier could make the internet 10 times faster
Scientists have designed an amplifier that can transmit 10 times more information per second than current fiber-optic systems can, which could be helpful for medical treatment and diagnosis.
