Andrew Blum: What is the Internet, really?

2012 ж. 18 Қыр.
433 313 Рет қаралды

When a squirrel chewed through a cable and knocked him offline, journalist Andrew Blum started wondering what the Internet was really made of. So he set out to go see it -- the underwater cables, secret switches and other physical bits that make up the net.
TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more.
Find closed captions and translated subtitles in many languages at www.ted.com/translate
Follow TED news on Twitter: / tednews
Like TED on Facebook: / ted
Subscribe to our channel: / tedtalksdirector

Пікірлер
  • Lol all the comments talking about being here for BCIS course

    @ggirl705@ggirl7053 жыл бұрын
    • Well I’m not here for BCIS but I’m here for a Digital humanities class😂

      @arichmind19@arichmind192 жыл бұрын
    • Yes

      @emilymartinez8046@emilymartinez8046 Жыл бұрын
  • Who else is here to make a summary for their BCIS class?

    @Dark_light7@Dark_light73 жыл бұрын
    • Shout out to San Jac

      @johnw3736@johnw37363 жыл бұрын
    • @@BigchillBeats999 bro y’all all live in Texas ? I go to phs😭

      @nahriahrivera@nahriahrivera2 жыл бұрын
    • @@johnw3736 Aye, which school you go to like south, central?

      @Sebastian-wr4ym@Sebastian-wr4ym2 жыл бұрын
    • @@nahriahrivera pasadena high school wack. pasadena memorial is better

      @Sebastian-wr4ym@Sebastian-wr4ym2 жыл бұрын
    • @@Sebastian-wr4ym went to south, over at UHCL now.

      @johnw3736@johnw37362 жыл бұрын
  • Just finished reading his book Tubes and its amazing, was really nice to see some of the pictures he took during this talk and visually see the things he witnessed in the expansion of the internet.

    @jaybranno@jaybranno11 жыл бұрын
  • I worked in a factory where they make these under sea fiber optic cables. I was in quality control testing these babies. Very cool job actually.

    @EdEditz@EdEditz11 жыл бұрын
  • "Light goes in on one side of the ocean and comes out on the other side of the ocean" I genuinely came here to learn about the internet but I feel like this is some sort of poetic fusion between the art of words and the art that is technology as we know and understand it. This alone is a form of art.

    @MilkSteakOverHard@MilkSteakOverHard2 жыл бұрын
    • It's just waxing lyrical about the internet, basically playing with words. A squirrel chewing on your internet...really, is this comedy? How about a squirrel chewing on my internet's medium?

      @lLEGENDRADIO1@lLEGENDRADIO12 жыл бұрын
  • Brilliant! Blum is right, once the workers cover the manhole with sand, we forget how physical the internet really is.

    @DubaiGuy08@DubaiGuy0811 жыл бұрын
  • 8:29 Got a sleeper.

    @PaintballVideosNet@PaintballVideosNet8 жыл бұрын
    • ooo I shall now find, screenshot, and publicly SHAME THEM!! lmfao can you imagine waking up and finding out you'd missed out on such a great fkn presentation tho?? I'd be pissed.

      @idontknowchris@idontknowchrisАй бұрын
  • Wow, what a perspective!!! This man was quite successful in explaining the physicality of something as abstract as the internet. Really enjoyed listening to him

    @Cliffyboy16@Cliffyboy166 жыл бұрын
  • Loved the talk. Great job.

    @Hazz3r@Hazz3r11 жыл бұрын
  • I enjoyed this talk. Thank you :) I want to know more about how we are all physically connected. Well done :)

    @dandined@dandined11 жыл бұрын
  • such an enlightening video, so fascinating!

    @GeethaSindhuriBarabari@GeethaSindhuriBarabari6 жыл бұрын
  • I hope in my field of study some event will inspire me to explore and discover answers to curiosities presenting themselves in the most interesting of manners.

    @haleylogsdon8791@haleylogsdon87919 жыл бұрын
    • Has such an event taken place yet

      @deificdeus2400@deificdeus24003 жыл бұрын
    • I indeed am too curious of what magnitude the event would have to posses in order for your inspiration to occur?

      @michalnewton1885@michalnewton18852 жыл бұрын
  • I love you Sir...Andrew Blum was too amazing!!!

    @Shahrajat5@Shahrajat55 жыл бұрын
  • Beautiful presentation

    @agiritaofeek1429@agiritaofeek1429 Жыл бұрын
  • how are under ground/sea, wires, involved with 'wireless', broadband, internet?

    @owenkilleen@owenkilleen11 жыл бұрын
  • It's amazing to think more then a hundred years ago we where doing the same thing with telegraph cables.

    @Krkrbs419@Krkrbs41911 жыл бұрын
  • I don't understand the negative comments. This is fascinating! Too bad it was cut off, I would have liked to see the entire lecture.

    @boomtao@boomtao11 жыл бұрын
  • Imagine having to take the same classes twice this is my second time watching this video 😭

    @fromthemoonandmybed@fromthemoonandmybed2 жыл бұрын
  • I really enjoyed this talk!

    @shango02005@shango0200511 жыл бұрын
  • loved this.. really insightful .. i was aware of just how physical the internet is.. but in this incredibly visual time we live in.. it takes seeing the guy coming out of the sea holding the internet cable first, before you can truely imagine a guy coming out of the sea holding the internet.cable

    @brtweets7827@brtweets782710 жыл бұрын
  • He wanted to see it, and touch it. It's very important that we know how things that we use, work. What makes a notification on your phone possible, and more importantly, how the world works. -Cheers

    @coreydoyle4702@coreydoyle470211 жыл бұрын
  • Incredible!!! ♥

    @goxr3plus_studio@goxr3plus_studio6 жыл бұрын
  • Have you ever wonder what Internet is all about. Is it something physical or mere illusion? In this wonderful talk, the passionate young man Andrew Blum vividly describes about his fact-finding mission with touch of humor. Good Talk. Good Subject. Delightful.

    @srimansrini@srimansrini11 жыл бұрын
    • Thanks!

      @MuntahaZad@MuntahaZad Жыл бұрын
    • Its a network

      @MacNif@MacNif Жыл бұрын
  • I'm here for BCIS

    @user-or5iu2kp3e@user-or5iu2kp3e3 жыл бұрын
  • Thank You!

    @tessmacie9924@tessmacie99243 жыл бұрын
  • came here for my bcis class but dam he cute

    @me168716@me1687168 жыл бұрын
    • +me168716 lol no kidding

      @rainbowharlow5739@rainbowharlow57398 жыл бұрын
    • girl he gay af smh lol

      @darklove154@darklove1547 жыл бұрын
    • me168716 girl I thought the same too lmao

      @mishdonatella105@mishdonatella1057 жыл бұрын
    • j j loser

      @mishdonatella105@mishdonatella1056 жыл бұрын
    • lol same do you go to san jac in Houston?

      @dumdumdumbass@dumdumdumbass6 жыл бұрын
  • That's really amazing

    @gokulvellingiri4445@gokulvellingiri44453 жыл бұрын
  • WOW, it's so incredible

    @vanlongnguyen7682@vanlongnguyen76822 жыл бұрын
  • I don't know how big the IT crowd is elsewhere but the UK, but it is definitely worth watching, best modern sitcom we have

    @MrValzen@MrValzen11 жыл бұрын
  • It was pretty cool to witness a cable landing, in Guam, back in 2009...

    @DAVIDSDIEGO@DAVIDSDIEGO11 жыл бұрын
  • I liked this talk. People should try to know a little more about everything.

    @tossabaddle@tossabaddle11 жыл бұрын
  • A global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities, consisting of interconnected networks using standardized communication protocols.

    @GaveYouADislike@GaveYouADislike11 жыл бұрын
  • Why is everyone slamming this guy, I bet you 95% of the population have no idea about the physicality of the internet. He may be just scratching the massive surface of the internet but at least he is trying to understand. We get it, some of us are way more intelligent at networking and computers in general, but you don't have to look down on others because they didn't know about it.

    @TeBaran@TeBaran11 жыл бұрын
    • Because most people probably had to watch this for class

      @kittymilkyyy@kittymilkyyy5 жыл бұрын
  • Informative

    @scmfrmanzil@scmfrmanzil8 жыл бұрын
  • Good explanation to

    @oladipooladipo9068@oladipooladipo90684 жыл бұрын
  • Cool

    @aarongrooves@aarongrooves11 жыл бұрын
    • Cool

      @dylannuggets2687@dylannuggets26873 жыл бұрын
    • Yooo the heck are you doing here? Love your videos

      @lowreslireas@lowreslireas2 жыл бұрын
  • I'm not sure why, but I feel stupid after watching this video. I am amazed at how interested this guy is in something so obvious (to me). And also how enthusiastic he is in sharing this information with us, like a child discovering something new, and sharing it with his parents. Not sure the TED audience is the right audience for this.

    @BenGenio@BenGenio11 жыл бұрын
    • I think he’s trying to be as fun and engaging as possible, so that people who’d never otherwise concentrate long enough to understand this from a lecture or textbook actually do. This is awesome.

      @diaryofabadsinger@diaryofabadsinger2 жыл бұрын
  • amazing

    @Yanasivan@Yanasivan11 жыл бұрын
  • they also provide you with wireless service! ISP=Internet service provider, meaning Internet in many forms of access

    @ChristianVPetersen@ChristianVPetersen11 жыл бұрын
  • good job

    @GamerForeverChannel@GamerForeverChannel3 жыл бұрын
  • when they put it in the manhole, what happend after that? does manhole go somwehere? Where is the source? where is the data int he fibers comings from? Are there many sources?

    @vickylukan7493@vickylukan74933 жыл бұрын
  • So nobody noticed the guy sleeping at 6:22?

    @vibinwithjazz830@vibinwithjazz8303 жыл бұрын
  • Wow I had no ideia.

    @geezdude20@geezdude2011 жыл бұрын
  • Trust me I know. This is the way i think, and it sometimes leaves me with a head ache..

    @GrimSoul66@GrimSoul6611 жыл бұрын
  • I am not sure if you're talking about Vsauce or the It Crowd, but I like them both. The It Crowd episode was really funny.

    @MrAstroman2@MrAstroman211 жыл бұрын
  • It's pretty mind boggling to me how a bunch of cables transmitting electricity (probably) can be transformed into such a monumental thing as the internet. Think of yourself. You are a bunch of neurons firing in your brain, but the sum of all these electrical impulses and chemical processes that's going on inside you, gives rise to an entirely different thing. The fact that the internet exists, physically, is a cool thought in my opinion, and one that most people usually don't stop to consider.

    @PraUGshta@PraUGshta11 жыл бұрын
    • Exactly how i conceptualized it in my head

      @mayberedacted69420@mayberedacted6942010 ай бұрын
    • Amazing

      @greathero4758@greathero47588 ай бұрын
  • interesting video but when I search what is the internet I wanted to find out how it was found where it stems from why do we use it the way we do what else could we use it for what is the basic of the web

    @iMrReMember@iMrReMember10 жыл бұрын
    • +young jynx it doesnt stem from anywhere its decentralized that was the whole point of the picture he showed in the beginning

      @MrTopGunnar@MrTopGunnar8 жыл бұрын
  • They're all… 42… the answer to life, the universe, and everything?

    @SchemingForFalcons@SchemingForFalcons11 жыл бұрын
  • I'm in love with his face...damn😊😥😥

    @oladipooladipo9068@oladipooladipo90684 жыл бұрын
  • Could u tell me whats an it environment then?

    @RAJA77522@RAJA775228 жыл бұрын
  • 9:55 cigarette mention censored.

    @kkfoto@kkfoto5 жыл бұрын
  • I work in telecom, and I say this guy has just discovered America!

    @Brainiaccccc@Brainiaccccc11 жыл бұрын
  • Can someone summarize this for me its for a assignment for school lol

    @omianova7474@omianova74744 жыл бұрын
    • same lol

      @othermagknowsbeauty@othermagknowsbeauty4 жыл бұрын
    • No one?

      @andresm9844@andresm98444 жыл бұрын
  • Here from bcis class, summary?

    @jamal8872@jamal88724 жыл бұрын
  • quarantine learning check :))

    @poppy9007@poppy90074 жыл бұрын
  • I agree. Do you still remember the old tune? I barely do, but it was very annoying too iirc.

    @HiAdrian@HiAdrian11 жыл бұрын
  • But how about the sattelite and radio technology , it is not all physical , some are wave or energy

    @youvidtubedeo1151@youvidtubedeo11516 жыл бұрын
  • with that the title of this video the scope of his speach could have been broader.

    @iugey@iugey11 жыл бұрын
  • Fully agree, have no idea why they haven't changed it, everyone seems to hate it.

    @captainhampton@captainhampton11 жыл бұрын
  • Preach!

    @Earlyturtle@Earlyturtle11 жыл бұрын
  • Great talk! You forgot to plug your book ;)

    @daugbret@daugbret11 жыл бұрын
  • Did I say Servers where tiny? But it actually depends on the servers actually. You can turn any desktop computer in to a server.

    @TheaDragonSpirit@TheaDragonSpirit11 жыл бұрын
  • I'm glad TED exists, but damn...why the hell junk my sub box with this silliness?

    @livebyreason@livebyreason11 жыл бұрын
  • I felt the presentation was a little unfocused in a way, kind of like a 'What's the point?' feeling, but it was amusing and interesting nonetheless. I think the guy is a great speaker as well.

    @UltraRobbie@UltraRobbie11 жыл бұрын
  • Satellites in space too. Oh my!

    @csselement@csselement11 жыл бұрын
  • "...Internet changed everything, from shopping to dating.." xD Does anyone read this before actual presentation?

    @MarkoKraguljac@MarkoKraguljac11 жыл бұрын
  • Wowzer, super cool! Great work. Ahead of his time. I wonder what he thinks about the internet 11 years later. Or what he'll think about the internet 11 years from today.

    @mattschwab5143@mattschwab5143 Жыл бұрын
  • Prior to the internet people related to other people using pieces of paper (books, letters, newpapers, etc.). But we didn't have people getting freaked-out about looking at rectangles of paper all day the way people get freaked-out about looking at screens.

    @Fuliginosus@Fuliginosus11 жыл бұрын
  • I came here looking for a "series of tubes" joke. I was not disappointed.

    @IseeRightThrough2you@IseeRightThrough2you11 жыл бұрын
  • lol, please tell me you've watched the it crowd

    @gadda01@gadda0111 жыл бұрын
  • Am I the only one kinda shocked that they have fiber cables running through the ocean?

    @lee0495@lee049511 жыл бұрын
  • Omg that image is really scary

    @IMBLOODMARRY@IMBLOODMARRY11 жыл бұрын
  • - there has been ocean cables since before the Internet. I belive the first Atlantic cable was used for Telegraphy

    @ChristianVPetersen@ChristianVPetersen11 жыл бұрын
  • Yes

    @jacobreinvented@jacobreinvented11 жыл бұрын
  • The point he makes is very simple - which doesn't make it irrelevant of course.

    @Anrainerstaat@Anrainerstaat6 жыл бұрын
  • To my opinion it is crazy to think that each computer connected to the Internet in the world is physically connected to mine by a tremendous number of possible path.

    @cyrila8582@cyrila858210 жыл бұрын
  • Wired people should know something about wires! It makes sense

    @daviers01@daviers018 жыл бұрын
    • Ohhhh, i loved that quoted

      @Shahrajat5@Shahrajat55 жыл бұрын
  • Sometimes I wonder if the TED guys are ever going to figure out that cutting to angles of the gaping jaws of random audience members is jarring and unnecessary.

    @KokoRicky@KokoRicky11 жыл бұрын
  • I'll do my best. However, I would most likely refer them to an adult learning class on web surfing at the local high school.

    @nullapecunia@nullapecunia11 жыл бұрын
  • It's a series of tubes!!!

    @NilsSF@NilsSF11 жыл бұрын
  • Você está aí do outro lado 🌍👍

    @joseeriksonerikson1801@joseeriksonerikson18012 жыл бұрын
  • By the way Tata is the worst internet provider in India.

    @SamirMishra6174@SamirMishra61748 жыл бұрын
  • I prefer "your listening to TED talks" in a nice voice :)

    @honeymonster147@honeymonster14711 жыл бұрын
  • a squirrel chewed on my internet - hilarious :)

    @Rumpelstilette@Rumpelstilette11 жыл бұрын
  • Optic fibre cable!

    @VivekMishra2010@VivekMishra201011 жыл бұрын
  • Tell us more about the squirrel.

    @SAsgarters@SAsgarters11 жыл бұрын
  • A VERY short list of vital infrastructure targets...thanks for entering that into the public contoiusness Mr. Blum.

    @TheAnubisDrake@TheAnubisDrake11 жыл бұрын
  • It got a little emotional at the end, I must say.

    @xgirlx405@xgirlx4059 жыл бұрын
  • Now i wanna now where is the Intenet cable on Puerto Rico.

    @robychevere9487@robychevere94879 жыл бұрын
    • +Roberto Ramirez Yo tambien

      @edwardivandeveloper@edwardivandeveloper8 жыл бұрын
    • There's several cables connecting to Puerto Rico: San Juan (7 cables), Miramar (2), Isla Verde (4), Punta Salina (1) > submarinecablemap.com

      @kkfoto@kkfoto5 жыл бұрын
  • Funny how everyone in the crowd at 8:30 is falling asleep and one girl smiles like crazy heh.

    @KevinExtremo@KevinExtremo11 жыл бұрын
  • rather confusingly i started talking bout vsauce then about the it crowd, i have a habit of changing subject mid sen yeah i really like it as well, not my favourite, the one with countdown is probably my favourite one or the one with space star ordering. basically i love the it crowd *nerd face*

    @gadda01@gadda0111 жыл бұрын
  • The internet is a series of tubes!

    @mrnintendo15@mrnintendo1510 жыл бұрын
  • Guy @8:29 rofl =P

    @iugey@iugey10 жыл бұрын
    • Screenshot for the lazy - imgur.com/F6X9bHF

      @DannyHensloweGooglePlus@DannyHensloweGooglePlus9 жыл бұрын
  • im just here for the BCIS cource lol

    @samanthaguerrero08@samanthaguerrero082 ай бұрын
  • i just watched that specific episode where they say the internet weights nothing, but have YOU seen that Vsauce video above??

    @MrAstroman2@MrAstroman211 жыл бұрын
  • Interesting

    @user-ks7bq8uc7i@user-ks7bq8uc7i10 жыл бұрын
  • There is this part on middle 18281828, really easy to remenber took me like 15 secs.. and you can momerize other ones on min, not that hard, atleast not for me.

    @Mylada@Mylada11 жыл бұрын
  • It was probably just a really long blink...

    @Mandog20000@Mandog2000011 жыл бұрын
  • Actualle weight of internet(all that information(electrons)) is 30 grams.

    @Mylada@Mylada11 жыл бұрын
  • A newb about to become a geek. It's starts like this _admiration_ on deep processes

    @dardevelin@dardevelin11 жыл бұрын
KZhead