Although speech is generally accepted as the most advanced form of communication, there are many ways of communicating without using words. In every known culture, signals, signs, symbols, and gestures are commonly utilized as instruments of communication. There is a great deal of agreement among communication scientists as to what each of these methods is and how each differs from the others. For instance, the basic function of any signal is to impact upon the environment in such a way that it attracts attention, as, for example, the dots and dashes that can be applied to telegraph circuits. Coded to refer to speak, the potential for communication through these dots and dashes - short and long intervals as the circuit is broken - is very great.