How the Internet Works: From Telegraphs to Submarine Cables

Networking and the Internet, from First Principles

I explore the invisible chain of conversions that lets us communicate instantly across continents, revealing how the Internet functions without a central controller. By tracing the evolution from the electrical telegraph to modern fiber optics, I show how discrete symbols and shared protocols allow billions of messages to navigate a decentralized network owned by dozens of independent companies.

"I find it mind-boggling that we can communicate instantly with anyone in the world by doing nothing more than creating controlled, patterned disturbances of electricity, light, and radio."