The Genesis of IRE

IN THE YEAR 640 B. C., a Greek philosopher named Thales found to his astonishment that when he rubbed a piece of amber, or "elektron" as it was then called, it became capable of attracting straws and other light objects. From this humble beginning man went on to scientific and technological advances which were to change the course of civilization more than twenty centuries later. He discovered electricity, investigated its properties, determined its relationship to magnetism, and penetrated the basic secrets of the atom. With each new step he set about to apply his new-found knowledge so that he might harness this undreamed-of power to increase his comfort, safeguard his health, and improve his prosperity.