Internet 101 | National Geographic

Summary

This video script narrates the transformative impact of the internet on global connectivity. Starting from its early days in the 1960s with ARPANET, funded by the US Department of Defense, it traces the evolution through the 1980s with NSFNET, leading to the commercial internet of the late 1990s. The script explains how data packets, akin to digital envelopes, travel across various networks and devices, revolutionizing communication. It highlights the internet's growth from a centralized system to a global phenomenon, connecting people and ideas across continents.

Takeaways

• 🌍 4.2 billion people now have unprecedented access to a vast world of information.
• 🚀 The internet has revolutionized numerous aspects of life, from science to commerce to personal relationships.
• 🌐 The internet is a global network of computers, allowing fast and large-scale transmission of information.
• 💻 Early computer networks started in the 1950s and 60s, but they were limited to specific organizations.
• 🔗 ARPANET, funded by the US Department of Defense in 1969, was the first host-to-host network and a precursor to the modern internet.
• 📡 The National Science Foundation played a crucial role in connecting different networks and commercializing the internet.
• 🌍 The internet became accessible to the general public in the late 1990s, thanks to personal computers, the World Wide Web, and web browsers.
• 📱 Today, devices like computers, smartphones, and game consoles can transmit and receive data almost instantly via the internet.
• 📦 Data is sent over the internet as packets, which are routed through networks based on their IP addresses and port numbers.
• 🔄 The internet has evolved from a closed-off network to a global system that connects people and ideas across continents.

Q & A

How many people have access to the internet today?

Approximately 4.2 billion people have access to the internet.

What has the internet revolutionized in various aspects of our lives?

The internet has revolutionized everything from science and technology to commerce and romance, and virtually every aspect of our lives.

When did the first computer networks begin?

Some of the first computer networks began in the 1950s and 60s.

What was the first host-to-host network connection called?

The first host-to-host network connection was called ARPANET.

Which organization funded ARPANET?

ARPANET was funded by the US Department of Defense.

What was the role of the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the development of the internet?

The NSF connected disparate networks into one large network called NSFNET, which later shifted from a federally run network to a commercial enterprise for internet service providers.

What significant shift in the late 1990s allowed the general public to access the internet for the first time?

The shift in the late 1990s, along with the rise of personal computers, the world wide web, and web browsers, allowed the general public to access the internet for the first time.

How are text, audio, and video data transmitted over the internet?

Text, audio, and video are converted into electronic data called packets, which are then tagged with a port number and IP address to direct them to a given destination on the internet.

What is the function of port numbers and IP addresses in internet data transmission?

Port numbers and IP addresses function like mailing addresses on an envelope, directing the data packets to a specific destination on the internet.

What are the various ways through which internet data packets may travel?

Data packets may travel over Wifi, cellular data, or an ethernet or phone line, through routers, modems, and servers, and through fiber optic cables or satellites.

How is the data reassembled once the packets arrive at their destination?

Once the packets arrive at their destination, their data is reassembled into the original text, audio, or video that was sent.

How has the internet transformed since its early days?

The internet has undergone a tremendous transformation from a closed-off network to one that covers the globe, providing access to information on every continent and connecting people and ideas like never before.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 The Birth and Growth of the Internet

The paragraph discusses the internet's evolution from a centralized network within businesses and agencies to a global phenomenon. It highlights ARPANET, funded by the US Department of Defense and developed by universities, as a precursor to the modern internet. The 1980s saw the integration of research institutions and federal agencies like the National Science Foundation (NSF) into a larger network, which eventually transitioned to a commercial model for internet service providers. The late 1990s marked a pivotal shift with the rise of personal computers, the World Wide Web, and web browsers, enabling the public's first access to the internet. The paragraph also explains the technical process of data transmission, including the conversion of text, audio, and video into data packets, their routing through the internet infrastructure, and the reassembly of data at the destination.

Keywords

💡Internet

The internet is a global network of interconnected computers and devices that use the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate with each other. It is the backbone of modern communication, allowing for the exchange of information and data on an unprecedented scale. In the video, the internet is portrayed as a revolutionary force that has transformed various aspects of human life, from science and commerce to personal relationships, highlighting its central role in the narrative.

💡Connectedness

Connectedness refers to the state of being interconnected or linked, often in the context of communication networks. The video emphasizes the extraordinary level of connectedness the internet has enabled, revolutionizing how people access information and interact with one another. It is a key concept that illustrates the transformative impact of the internet on global communication.

💡ARPANET

ARPANET, short for Advanced Research Projects Agency Network, was an early packet switching network and the first network to implement the TCP/IP protocol suite. It is considered a precursor to the modern internet. In the script, ARPANET is mentioned as the first host-to-host network connection, funded by the US Department of Defense, and it played a foundational role in the development of the internet.

💡NSFNET

NSFNET, or the National Science Foundation Network, was a project funded by the US National Science Foundation to create a high-speed, digital, nationwide network for research and education in the United States. It is highlighted in the video as a significant step in the evolution of the internet, transitioning from a federally run network to a commercial enterprise that paved the way for internet service providers.

💡Packets

In the context of computer networking, a packet is a unit of data that is sent across a network. The video explains that when users send messages, text, audio, and video are broken down into packets, which are then transmitted over the internet. This concept is crucial for understanding how data is routed and delivered in digital communication.

💡IP Address

An IP address, or Internet Protocol address, is a unique numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. The video uses the analogy of a mailing address on an envelope to explain how IP addresses, along with port numbers, direct data packets to their intended destinations on the internet.

💡Routers

A router is a networking device that forwards data packets between computer networks. In the video, routers are part of the infrastructure that directs data packets through the internet, playing a critical role in the process of transmitting and receiving data across different networks.

💡Modems

A modem, short for modulator-demodulator, is a hardware device that converts data into a format suitable for transmission over a network. The video mentions modems as part of the equipment that enables data to travel over various types of connections, such as phone lines, which is essential for understanding the physical layer of internet connectivity.

💡Servers

A server is a computer system or device that provides functionality for other computers, known as clients, over a network. In the video, servers are depicted as integral components of the internet infrastructure, responsible for processing and storing data as it traverses the network.

💡Fiber Optic Cables

Fiber optic cables are a means of transmitting data as pulses of light across thin strands of glass or plastic. The video mentions fiber optic cables as one of the mediums through which data packets travel, highlighting their importance in the high-speed transmission of information over long distances.

💡Transformation

Transformation in the context of the video refers to the profound changes the internet has brought about in various aspects of society. The term is used to describe the evolution of the internet itself, as well as the broader impact it has had on connecting people, ideas, and information across the globe.

Highlights

4.2 billion people have access to a world of information through the internet.

The internet has revolutionized science, technology, commerce, and romance.

Early computer networks began in the 1950s and 60s, centralized within businesses and agencies.

ARPANET, funded by the US Department of Defense, was a precursor to the internet.

The 1980s saw the integration of research institutions and federal agencies into the growing network.

NSFNET transitioned from a federally run network to a commercial enterprise for internet service providers.

The late 1990s marked the first time the general public could access the internet.

Personal computers, the world wide web, and web browsers enabled public internet access.

Devices like computers, smartphones, and game consoles now connect to the internet.

Messaging apps convert text, audio, and video into electronic data packets.

Data packets are directed to their destination using port numbers and IP addresses.

Packets travel through a complex network of routers, modems, servers, and fiber optic cables.

The internet has transformed from a closed network to a global one, connecting every continent.

The internet provides unprecedented access to information and connectivity on a global scale.

Telecommunications is becoming increasingly important as a window into the world.

The internet has undergone a tremendous transformation, impacting the world that created it.

The internet connects people and ideas across the globe like never before.

Transcripts

(light music)

- [Narrator] Today, about 4.2 billion people

have access to a world of information

never before seen.

Such an extraordinary level of connectedness

has revolutionized everything.

From science and technology,

to commerce and romance,

and virtually every aspect of out lives.

(upbeat music)

Of all the technological innovations in history,

few have made as strong of an impact as the internet.

Comprised by a global network of computers,

the internet allows for the transmission

of information and connectivity

at an unprecedented speed and scale.

Some of the first computer networks

began in the 1950s and 60s,

but unlike today's global network,

these early networks were centralized

within certain businesses and agencies.

It wasn't until 1969 when centralized computer networks

became connected.

Funded by the US Department of Defense,

and developed by universities,

this host-to-host network connection, called ARPANET,

a direct ancestor of the internet,

was the first of its kind.

The network grew, and by the 1980s,

incorporate networks at research institutions

and other US Federal agencies,

such as the National Science Foundation, or NSF.

The NSF connected these disparate networks

into one large one.

NSFNET, which shifted over from being

a federally run network to a commercial enterprise

for internet service providers.

- Telecommunications is going to become

much much more important.

Your computer is going to become

your window into the world, really,

in some degree.

(modem connection noises)

- [Narrator] By the late 1990s,

this shift, along with the rise of personal computers,

the world wide web, and web browsers,

allowed the general public to access the internet

for the very first time.

Today, computers, smart phones, televisions,

video game consoles, and other devices,

all tap into the network,

and transmit and receive data almost instantly.

For example, by clicking send in messaging apps,

text, audio, and video are converted

into pieces of electronic data called packets.

These packets are then tagged with a port number

and IP address.

Much like the mailing address on an envelope,

the port number and IP address direct the packets

to a given destination on the internet.

From there, the packets may travel

over Wifi, cellular data, or an ethernet or phone line.

Through a series of routers, modems, and servers,

then through fiber optic cables or satellites,

and through a similar process in reverse

to reach the packets destination.

Once the packets arrive,

their data is reassembled into the text,

audio, or video that was originally sent.

(machine buzzing) (light music)

Since the days of the earliest computer networks,

the internet has undergone a tremendous transformation,

while also transforming the world that created it.

From a closed off network,

to one that covers the globe,

the internet has provided access to information

to every continent,

connecting people and ideas like never before.