We tend to think of Alexander Bell’s telephone as the start of telecommunication, but the Romans were using Carrier Pigeons thousands of years ago to communicate, win battles and conquer new lands. Pigeon Racing is as popular as ever, and you can learn all about these clever birds on the Royal Pigeon Racing Association website, including how to spot and report strays. You can also sign up to see them at numerous races throughout the year, and attend the organisation's annual show in January 2022.

Morse Code was another major innovation in telecoms that is still used today, and Google’s excellent Morse Typing Trainer will have you sending SOS messages in no time. The brilliant National Museum of Computing also has an interactive online 3D tour including the Technology of the Internet exhibition, which shows how the greatest invention of the 20th century actually works.

For even more excitement, tune in to Space.com on the evening of May 17th to see the launch of the SBIRS GEO 5 satellite, which will use infrared technology to spot missile launches from above the earth. Another way to learn about the future is to subscribe to the excellent Voice of 5G Podcast, which goes in-depth on how the technology we can’t stop hearing about will actually transform the cities, cars, and gadgets we use in the near future.