January 3, 1993

BEFORE Alexander Graham Bell was born, the word telephone referred to a ship's foghorn. When Bell invented his "electrical speaking telephone" in 1876 and summoned his surprised assistant, Watson, down the hall, he forever changed the meaning of the word whose Greek roots mean "distant sound." Today, technology is once again changing what we mean by telephone. Companies from Apple Computer to Philips Electronics to MCI are rethinking the way people communicate electronically, and within a decade, the current phone will seem as quaint as that long-ago "marine alarum." But the leader in this field, unique in its resources and its resourcefulness, is the company that Bell founded, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company.

After Rolando Blackman made a miraculous shot to force overtime, Gary Grant made an even more dramatic shot to beat the Knicks. Grant's 18-foot jumper from the deep right corner at the buzzer gave the Los Angeles Clippers a stunning 98-97 overtime victory yesterday afternoon at Madison Square Garden. It was only the second home loss in 15 games for the Knicks, and both of them have come in overtime. And it was a triumphant homecoming for the former Knicks point guard Mark Jackson (18 points, 8 assists), who played his first game in New York since the Knicks traded him in September.

Because of holiday production requirements, the main news pages are printed today in one section. The Metro Report begins on page 23.

There was no argument the morning after. There were no debates about the system that establishes the top team in college football, no unexplainable first-place votes among the electorate, and no outraged appeals from distant precincts. When the morning after arrived, the view, depending on the shade of one's dark glasses, was that of either an Alabama crimson happily-ever-after or a shockingly punishing and one-sided defeat that this generation of Miami Hurricanes will remember forever.

IT was a busy morning in the Byram Hills High School Library in Armonk. First, Martin Gilbert's freshman global studies students gathered around the computers with far more enthusiasm than one usually sees around a traditional reference center. Each of Mr. Gilbert's students was a make-believe ambassador to a different African country and preparing a report. From different databases on the computers, the students had instant access to thousands of up-to-date facts on each country -- from the latest economic and population figures to the day's weather, common diseases and tourist requirements. They could see the country's flag and geographical features or hear the national anthem.