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.
About DrB
Read more about DrB »
About the Roger Billings Scholarship Program »
Hi from Virginia
Hello from Mississippi.
hello from iowa
Excitement from Texas!!!
Hii from Virginia.
Hiiii from Florida!!!
hi from il
Hi from NC!
hiii from kentucky
Here from Las Cruces, NM! Excited for tonight!!
Hi from North Carolina!
Hi soooo excited!!!!!!!
Hello from Texas
hii from atll
Hi from Maine
Hello from Maryland. It’s storming here. Thundering and Lightning!!
excited for todays science live
hello from ky
Hello from texas
hi from tx
Hi from NYC
Hello from Texas!! So excited!
Hi from Georgia!
Hi from Texas!
Hi from Missouri
hello from minnesota
Hi from RI!
Hello from SC
I’m sooooo excited
Hello its Ethan from Virginia tuning in!
Hi from OH
Hi from tx!!
Ahnaliesa from Springfield Oregon helloooo!!
hi from mississippi!!
I love science live.
Hi guys I’m new
very excited!
Hey from Atlanta!
Hey, from Georgia. Super happy to be here.
Evening from FL!
hello from houston
hi from ga
Hi from Nevada.
Hello from Miami, Florida. Ready for tonight’s live.
I think it’s so cool we get to learn about how the Internet was made today!
hello science live from Okinawa Japan
hi from Texas!!!
hello from new york
Hi from wichita ks
Hi from Connecticut!
hi from ga
Hey! Happy April first! I’m Elena and I’m from Memphis, Tennessee and I really Love Science live!
Hello from kansas. I love science live
Hello from Illinois!
Hello from Texas
From Florida
I found that really interesting to hear about the health benefits to eccentric exercises.
I love the youtube videos ya’ll post and the rewatchability
hi from texas!
Howdy science live, I’m dropping in here from TX.
so excited
Wednesday has become my favorite day of the week 🙂
I am sooooo excited for today’s live!!
Helllooo
greetings from DE!!
Hellooo happy april
Hi from Tennessee
Hello from New Jersey!
Hi I’m exited for today’s class.
Hi from mississippi
Hello from North Dakota.
Good evening from Illinois!
hey from ha
This looks like it is gonna be fun.
signing in from tx hope everyone has been good
Hello from ohio
Hello from Texas, I love watching these videos!
Hi from texas
I can not wait to see what I will learn tonight…
Hi from NC
Hi from Florida.
*Hello from Texas!
Hi from RI!
Hi from texas happy close to easter to all 🙂 😉
Hi from NY
Were do we go to get the gold key and how do we get it?
Hi from Indiana!
Hi from Illinois
Hi from Tx
Hello from Mississippi!
Does that mean we can send that robot to mars?
hi from florida
Hello from Texas!
Greetings from Hot Springs, South Dakota!!!!
AMAZING LIVE
Hello from NY!
Hi from Kentucky
hello from Texas
hii from nc!
Hii from caili <3
Hello from Massachusetts!! I’m excited !
hi from kentucky
Hi from NC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi from ky
Good Evening from AZ
Hi from georgia!
Hi from Rhode Island
Hi from massachuettes!!
Hello from Nebraska
Hello from MD
hello from Illinose
Hello from TN.
Hello from Dallas!!
this will be interesting as allways
bro I’m back for more
Hello from Louisiana
Hello from Ohio.
And Hi from Austin Texas
hey im so happy to be watching this today
Hello from Nevada!!
Hi I’m so excited!
hello from Missouri!
Hi from South Carolina
Hi from New Jersey. So excited for tonight’s live!!
Hii, from Illinois!
Hi from Virginia
hi from texas!
mila from TX
hi from illinois
Hi from ms
Hi from north carolina
Hi from New hampshire
Hi from TX
Hi from IL.
Awesome live. i love acellus
hi from KY
Hello from Tennessee so excited for tonights live!!
Hello from North Carolina
Hi from Georgia
Hi from nd
Hey from Texas
Hi from Tx! 🤍
Hi from NJ
Hey from New Jersey !
Make A paper airplane that can fly 20 meters please
I’m so excited
Hi from tn
Hi from Texas !
Love science lives!
Hello from Missouri!!
lets see what we will learn today very excited
That’s really cool
Hello from NC!!!
What will happen if aliens came to earth. Edit i meant to put came
Hey from MS!! 🙂
hii from illinois
Hi from NC
Hi this has been cool so far
Hi from Tx
Hello form Texas!
hi from tn!
hello from planet pg
Hi so excited!
Hi from Tennessee!
I wonder what it is going to be about!
hiii from North Carolina
Super awesome. Hi from Texas!
Hello from Canada!
Hello from Georgia
Hi from Michigan
So excited for the live!!
hi from georgia
Hello from Texas.
Watching from Alabama
Hello from New Jersey. So excited for the live!!
hey from ms