Had Aleksandr Stepanovich Popov stayed with his initial vocation, he would never have been involved with radio.

Born on March 16, 1859, in Turinsk, Russia, Popov followed in his father's footsteps and studied for the priesthood. During his seminary years, he became interested in engineering, physics, and mathematics. When he graduated from the seminary, he decided to attend the St. Petersburg University's Faculty of Physics and Mathematics.

When Popov graduated in 1882, he was offered a teaching position at the university. He refused because there was no opportunity to become involved in electrical engineering research. Instead, he became an assistant at the Torpedo School in Kronstadt, Russia, teaching electricity and magnetism to naval specialists.

In 1888, Heinrich Hertz (1857-1894) discovered invisible electromagnetic radiation. Two years later Édouard Branly (1844-1940) discovered that electrical resistance in metallic powders decreased when subjected to an electromagnetic discharge; in other words, the powders stuck together. Oliver...