Morse code
Dots and dashes that crossed oceans.
Where it came from
Morse code was developed in the 1830s–40s by Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail for the electric telegraph. Letters became dots and dashes whose lengths matched frequency — E is just ".", Q is "−−•−".
It carried the first long-distance messages and saved lives (SOS, •••———•••). Though no longer official for maritime use, radio hams and aviators still learn it.
How it works
Each character maps to a pattern of short (dot) and long (dash) signals, separated by gaps. A slash separates words. Both Latin and Cyrillic have standard tables.
UWC encodes text to Morse and decodes it back in your browser — a fun bridge between the telegraph age and today.