A receiver would read the flashes and convert it back to text. Skills learned in the military helped an injured man communicate with his wife across a rocky beach using only his flashlight in 2017.

Morse code is nearly 200 years old and can be used to quickly transmit messages locally or around the world, although there are better systems in use today.

It can be sent by flashlight (long and short flashes); by tapping on a table, wall, or metal pipe; or even by blinking your eyes. Morse code is easy to learn.

Maritime Morse code was formally phased out in 1999, but in California, a group of enthusiasts who call themselves the “radio squirrels” keeps the tradition alive.

Militaries use immersion language instruction, as do diplomats and journalists, and apparently computers can now use it to teach themselves Morse code.