Echoes in the 17th Century
In his book "Neue Hall- und Thonkunst, oder mechanische Geheim-Verbindung der Kunst und Natur" the famous renaissance scientist Athanasius Kircher (1602-1680) discussed the following problems:
"Question: If it were possible to create such an echo which would speak words other than these which were initially called"
"To artificially create an echo such that the voice answers in a different language every time."