The Invention That Made the Internet Possible
In 1978, Dr. Roger Billings invented Universal Networking — the foundational technology behind how the modern internet shares information.
In this episode of ScienceLive, he tells the complete story for the first time, in his own words. It starts with a problem. J. Willard Marriott, founder of the Marriott Hotels empire, had 12 of IBM’s largest mainframe computers — the biggest the company made — and they still couldn’t keep up with reservation demand. IBM told him a 13th machine would crash the entire system. He needed a solution that didn’t exist yet. Dr. Billings invented one.
His concept was elegantly simple: instead of every computer trying to talk to every other computer simultaneously, create a dedicated “library” computer — what we now call a server — that any number of users could query independently. The result was a system that could scale to an unlimited number of users without overloading. He called it Universal Networking, patented it as U.S. Patent No. 4,714,989, and proved it worked by installing it at real businesses around the world using the Billings Microcomputer — one of the earliest personal computers ever built.
Today, every website, every app, and every internet transaction runs on this same client-server principle.
This is the story of one of the most important and least-known inventions of the 20th century — told by the man who invented it.
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I loved how we learned about the internet
Science Live is so interesting!
Thank you so much for the scholarship you give for us! It has been such a blessing, and I am so grateful!
thank you for the informational live!
This live was really good.
LOVE ACELLUS!! this Live was so interesting
Learning story behind the internet was very cool!
It’s interesting how much everything has involved from this, I love science live and the topics that are talked about in it.
Thank you Dr. Billings!
I love these lives!!!! They’re my fav and i look up to them every wednesday.
I LOVE Science live
this is a great video
My favorite video yet! I love watching the history behind the Internet!
I can’t believe you had met Marriot and worked with them!! I love science live! I watch it and love learning about new science and technology every week that I never knew before!! Education is very important for us and our future.
i look forward to learning more interesting information every Wednesday!
I liked learning about the crystals
Thank you so much Mr. billings you have changed my life so much. You are the Greatest and i love science live Wednesdays because you teach me so much and i really like your Rolls Royce.
That is so cool that you had a part in bringing the internet to what it is today.
Love science live!!!
Science live was amazing.
I always love watching these. It’s a great way to spend my time!
Hey from Mississippi
Hello from South Carolina
Thank you for science live
Thank you so much! Great episode!
so cool that robots can move without electricity and about the watch.
another great episode
Nice car it looks cool. Cant wait for the next science live
Dr. B you warmed my heart hearing about what you would do with your car just to help out kids with their education. You are so kind.
Woah! This is all so interesting! Mind blown.
great show from maryland
Fsd is so cool I feel inspired by it.
GREAT EPISODE!!
Great show I look forward to watching more
I love science live
Hello from Ohio!!
I loved hearing about Mr. Marriott I knew nothing of him before this so now I’m so excited to know more about him. I had no idea Dr. Billings helped with the solution and that is awesome inspiring! Also, I loved hearing that Dr. Billings first science fair project was seed germination, that is always such a blast to experiment with and watch the plants grow!
I enjoy the talked about Watch Industry and Dr. Billings Computer Technology Invention that help Martiot Hotel’s problem.
I love the info is learn from this.
I like the different science projects.
Wow! Very interesting!
Hello from Mississippi. This live was very interesting. Dr billings is a very interesting man and very smart.
Hi I enjoyed watching tonight looking forward to next time.
I really liked this!!🦋
We watched the astronauts go into space today.
This live was really enjoyable to watch!
Hi from California San Diego
Hello from Texas!
I love science live.
Here in Loisiana!
Hello everyone! This stuff is so interesting!
Dr. Billings is Amazing
This is the best science live ever.
Loved it! So amazing
Jackson from Illinois and I love science live!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks so much for another great Science Live.
Hi from Texas
Beautiful jet Dr. Billings!
Hello, from chicago
Hello from California
loved this!!!
It’s amazing how one invention can completely change the way the world connects and communicates!!!
Good episode!
This was a really cool episode, it’s cool you invented Universal Networking but mostly anything you do is cool lol 😂
Hello from Mississippi. Dr Billings is very smart at what he does. Very interesting.
Love from NY!
this was the best one yet!
Very cool, from Montana!
I liked learning about the computers and the robots from the 3D Printer.
Your passion is the best Dr billings for acellus!!
This was a great science live
Hi I’m from Nevada
Hi from Texas.
hello from mississipi
Hi, watching from ATX
Hello from Louisisana
I’m glad to be here today thanks for everything
I liked the 3D printed robot, it was interesting.
I enjoyed watching this! The internet is very neat.
Watching on vacation in Washington
Did anyone watch the NASA live of Artemis II take off?! So exciting!
That is a cool way to see it
Thank you Dr Billings!
That patent is incredibly interesting for me!
great video love it!!
Such a cool topic for this video!
Really cool episode, it’s cool you invented Universal Networking.
Hi from Massachusetts
its just amazing how things work
I loved this science live!!
Hello from Calumet City, IL!
Hello from Texass!!
Mr. Roger’s you’re like a hero!
Wow! You are amazing for being willing to sell your personal property.
Hi from Texas so interesting love acellus lives
Howdy from Texas!!
I want a 3D Printer now! So cool!
Thank you Dr. Billings for the Scholarship!
Hello from OH :))
HI FROM TN
Did anyone see the artimes launch. I got to go to nasa a few months ago and got to see how the build it.
HI from NC!!!
hi from illinois
Really interesting to watch !
I love 3d printing
Hi!! joining from texas
Hello from Texas
Hi, computers are awesome.
Greetings from kentucky!
I really watching science live🤩
Hello from Tennessee.
hi from tx
How long did it take for you to realize that you needed a server
I love watching these.
this is so interesting!
The robot was very cool!
Technology has come so far
Yay!! Science live!!