The Invention That Made the Internet Possible
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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Inventions are so important for the world.
I really appreciate y’all talking about this, its super cool!
WOW I am so surprised that just air could power a 3d printed robot!! That’s so cool!!
Hi from utah
these live make learing so much more interesting.
Can you guys talk about the P-51 Mustang?
I was wandering how do I attend science live in person?
It’s cool how the robot can move with just running on air!
I love watching theses
My brain will never fully be able to comprehend how the internet works ,(and bluetooth also) it’s just so facinating!
Internet is so interesting to learn about!
Dr Billings thank you for this live.
I really enjoy these live I learn different technologies every time.
Oh man, what would we do without the internet!
hello I have a question about your favorite color.
It was cool to learn all that!
I love science live
I learned so much about Universal Networking and how it came to be. It was interesting that it allowed the internet to scale many users without being bogged down. That is a big scientific advancement!
wow, that’s so cool!
Dang that’s so cool
That is such a cool robot! I’m glad that it used renewable sources instead of a non-renewable source like clean water.
My favourite ice cream flavours are:
Vanilla
Blueberry Cheesecake
Cookies and Cream
It’s fascinating how solving the collision detection problem on early Ethernet ending up being the linchpin for the modern scalable web!
I’m a visual person an Acellus makes learning much easier because they show how things work and are made. Another great Science Live.
I love learning about how things got started.
if we didnt have the internet then we would not have all this cool and neat stuff.
So interesting! Computers and the internet is amazing.
computers are so smart
So cool to learn about this stuff!
thank you for the live
The pneumatic robot is super unique! How did they possibly control it without electronics?
It is really interesting how Dr. Billings invented universal networking to solve Mr. Marriott’s business problem.
FSD was important to making the internet possible.
Thank you Dr Roger Billings for teaching us to be successful like you! I appreciate being at home as I do my schoolwork. I will make sure I watch every Science L!ve so I can graduate with honors! Thank you again!
I’m in fifth grade, and I want to graduate with honors too. I will watch every Science Live and study hard.
I wonder, did you win the lawsuit?
hello from oklahoma
Hi! I wonder, what was Marie Curie famous for inventing and when did she invent it?
Acellus makes learning so much easier compared to being taught in a classroom!
thank you so much for the video! I always think R51 is pretty funny to watch
This was an interesting watch. Thanks Science Live!
Crazy to imagine life without internet. Hello from CO!
The internet has opened so many doors over the years.
Watches used crystals?!
Watches and tuning forks?!
this is so cool! Love acellus. thanks for teaching us!!
I’m really glad to have internet!
I love the android ice cream truck idea! What if humans could eat the chips too? I also liked the little air robot. My mom like his little legs
Hiii thank for this creative opportunity
Dr. Billings is awesome
The internet is so useful if you want to know some thing you can just look it up on the internet.
Great job on science live learning about Dr. Billing’s invention.
That is so insane
Ive heard about the big IBM machines before I’m glad I got to learn more about them.
Coolest one yet
I think he has is very own private jet.
Wow! It is so cool how all the internet started!
Amazing information!! I always love watching these.
Can’t wait till next Wednesday!
I love Acellus
I loved the garlic presentation, it was really good.
I love science live!
The internet is cool but also scary ecspecally now because of AI .
The internet is so cool.
That explanation really helped me out.
What is the invention that made the internet possible
This episode was very intetesting and how you invented what made the internet possible.
How old were you when you made your first invention?
Thank you for making these videos! So fantastic to learn about a new thing every week.
So good loved every part
I love Science Live !!
Wow, ive been wondering how the internet was invented for years, thank you for teaching us.
My favorite ice cream is chocolate.
this was fire I loved this live
I like the introduction jokes I think there super funny!
electronics that run on air is a great idea!
i love science live
You guys are so awesome!!!
Crazy stuff! I still really want to know about project deep hole….
Thank you for all you have done to make Acellus Academy possible.
Interesting information about the internet
The internet is so interesting!!
I loved the 3D print robot you have made!
always an amazing video
We love the internet!
I thought the robot that didn’t use electricity was cool.
Can’t imagine living in a word without internet! And to know that Dr. B played such an important part in this great invention… What an inspiration.. (Joshua Hoffman)
We are very thankful for the scholarship! I’m sorry people are mocking it.
I love to watching silence live
Learning with acellus has made junior year such a breeze. Hello to everyone from Texas!
I love the science lives
technology behind the internet!!!!! someone hand me some popcorn.
That’s cool to learn about servers.
you explain this so well
hi from Texas
Technology is interesting.
I like cookie dough ice cream
Awesome episode. Great information about how Roger basically invented the internet.
Wow its crazy to see how the internet started and servers
Love Science Live!
This was really interesting. I like understanding the history behind inventinons and tech.
It’s so amazing to see how far the internet has come over the years!
If engineers apply motors to a non-metallic item, while also using air or some other molecules as a some sort of fuel, can we make a robot with non-metallic parts instead of metallic part?
My favorite is chocolate ice cream!
How was Universal Networking different from other networking technologies at the time?
This episode is very interesting!
hey from ct!!
It is really very interesting how everything about internet began
Wonderful
Honestly I love the way you guys put this together wonderful science live!!!
Dr. Billings is so great!
I loved this it was great especially for visual learners
cannot wait to see the next one
Ty for the video
emma here from wv
How did you feel when the other company copycat your invention?
Date:4/1/26
Like watching the teachers on science live, I like Mr Tobias talk . He’s funny
Every week we love learning how science shows up in all sorts of other areas of learning. Computers are such an important part of technology and education, the work that went into making the computers we have today isn’t appreciated enough.
I love science
scence Live is so interesting!
I would love if you guys shed some light on how AI is negatively affecting the environment
Thank goodness for the internet, I can’t imagine a life without it!
I love Science live so much
It’s super interesting that they made walker robots that run on just air! I wonder how they will use it?
The machines that run on air are cool!
Thank you for Acellus, without the internet I wouldn’t be able to be homeschooled.
hello from Kansas, I always love watching wednesday lives 🙂
I find these acellus lives interesting all the time
Great lesson this week!
Could pneumatic cables be used for computer data allowing for use in water?
hi from montana
Hey from Mississippi!! Great video!!
Comment
I use the internet all the time and learn a lot.
I love these there my fav riot part of the day
I’m a visual person an Acellus makes learning much easier because they show how things work and are made. Another great Science Live.
Hello from Atlanta, Georgia
Knowing about the internet helps us daily because we use it now so much because of so many things that we have to do during the day.
I learned about the quartz tuning fork in a watch and how crystal vibrates at a consistent frequency.
I can’t wait to learn from science live !!!
this was very interesting and helpful!
helloooo from texas
thank you look fowerd to the next one. I love sciene.
What’s the wi-fi password? “It’s on the fridge” Bah Ha ha
I found the robot that functions using air very interesting. I wonder in what other way we may benefit from this accomplishment.
great science live!
Why was 13 computers the breaking point?
i really love to watch science lives so much!
Super super cool
So cool to know how the internet started now that we rely so much on the internet now.
Love the show, so informative.
Thank you for the video!
Hi from Texas!
love watching this!
I loved this video so much
You explain everything so well it’s crazy!
R-51 is the best scientist ever! Haha!
fun science !!
happy Wednesday
I learn a lot from science live.
Wow these lives are super cool!
I love this
Wow loved the live I’ve always wondered how it worked.
I really love the air robot. is there a way to get one?
Hi from sc! Dr billings is amazing!
I can’t wrap my head around a world without the internet
Very excited to watch!
I like the 3d printed robot I’ve always been interested in 3d printers.
i’ve wondered, whats the time frame from when large supercomputers were being used to desktop computers being used in homes? and were they replaced?
thank you from Idaho
I’m a visual person an Acellus makes learning much easier because they show how things work and are made. Another great Science Live.
I wonder how many of these lives I could watch in one sitting.
I love science live
Same and so true it’s so awesome!
yep a good science live
Will quantum computing change how fast the internet speed goes or will It just help with solving problems
I love acellus .
Internet rules the world now in today’s time
I really liked the part where you mentioned how to get into the Acellus science fair so that some kids who don’t understand how to get in even though I understand how to get in I just appreciate it
I want to have my own invention one day!
That’s interesting how they discovered how to make the internet faster!
I wish I could enter the science fair and win a cool prize.
why is the ocoen blue
Watching Science Live is my favorite part of my week!
That’s neat about the first quartz watch by seiko being developed with tuning forks!