To the average person, this contraption looks strange, but it's how recordings were played back, oh, over 100 years ago.  This week, what is believed to be the oldest commercial (123 years old to be exact) was unearthed and the audio was posted on line by the National Parks Service.  (Click the link to hear it!)  The only thing is, you can't really make out what it is, but further investigation reveals the cylinder recording is of a talking doll singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star".  I couldn't make it out; it sounds a tad evil, but I kid.  Here is a picture of what these cylinders look like.

Edison Cylinders
Edison Cylinders (Courtesy of Flickr User phonogalerie.com)
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Edison?  Yes, as in Thomas Edison, who invented the first phonograph, and he invented the light bulb, which I could really use one for a new lamp I received right now.  Maybe Moon really invented that too.

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