The first sound recording device wasn't Thomas Edison's phonograph of 1877, but the phonautograph, patented by Frenchman Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville in 1857. While the device couldn't play back his recordings, an 1860 10-second phonautogram of a girl singing was rendered playable by scientists earlier this year in Berkeley, Calif. This is now the earliest known recorded human voice.

Cynthia update: Thanks to all who wrote with famous Cynthias that we didn't think of. The three ...

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