2013 is the bicentenary of the birth of David Livingstone African missionary and explorer who famously lost communication with the outside world during his 1866-1873 expedition to find the source of the Nile, resulting in the 1871 expedition of Henry Stanley to search for him (Dr Livingstone I presume ?). Our symposium aims to highlight how the application of the scientific theories and discoveries have led to developments in radio communications technology which have changed the world, and exploration,since Livingstone’s day.