How My Training As An Inventioneer Altered Ethernet

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Everyone said it was impossible. Engineers laughed and called it ‘The Billings Folly’ — as a joke. Then the entire internet adopted it, and now the whole world uses it.

Dr. Roger Billings tells the inside story of how full duplex gigabit Ethernet was invented, rejected at IEEE standards meetings, and eventually became the global standard behind modern internet, streaming video, and AI.

Discover the inventions that made it possible — the concentrator, the equalizer circuit, and the balanced hybrid circuit — and hear what happened when Ron Crane, the father of Ethernet himself, stepped in to defend it.

About DrB

Dr. Roger Billings is a visionary innovator whose work has touched the lives of millions of students and transformed the landscape of education. Widely known as “DrB” to the countless kids who benefit from his groundbreaking Acellus learning system, Dr. Billings has dedicated his life to advancing education through technology. As part of DrB’s lifelong commitment to supporting education, Science LIVE was launched as a way to “give back” by mentoring students in conjunction with the Roger Billings Scholarship Program.


Read more about DrB » 
About the Roger Billings Scholarship Program »

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2,924 Comments

  1. Josie

    Hey from Ohio, tonight’s live was so cool I loved how you taught us about proteges !

    Reply
  2. Sterling

    Even after literally getting laughed at, you still pulled through and changed the world of technology and the internet forever!

    Reply
  3. Annabelle

    the fact that they kept telling you that your board would not work so many times and you proved them wrong over and over again i find very funny and that you stayed strong is very inspiring.

    Reply
  4. Sarah

    Amazing discovery of Dr. billings, such an incredible engineer,appreciate what we now use and how it all started

    Reply
  5. Ximena

    Wow Dr Billings it’s great to learn about your contribution to the invention and success to what the internet is today.

    Reply
  6. Tyler

    hello, im from puerto rico. ethernet sounds crazy cool!

    Reply
    • Science LIVE

      Hi, Tyler!!! Science ROCKS! 🤩

      Reply
  7. Jrew

    Rodger Billing’s smarts and creativity keeps him involved in so many jobs. I lost count the many times he has been in engineering jobs.

    Reply
  8. Ahmed

    It’s amazing how electricity can be used to transmit words in pictures

    Reply
  9. Ella

    The Proteges always explain complicated things so well.

    Reply
  10. Elin

    Thank you Dr. Billings, for not giving up.

    Reply
  11. Dolores

    Hey from TX

    Reply
  12. Cayleigh

    I’m interested !*

    Reply
  13. Riley

    i like rocks

    Reply
  14. Pablo

    The protégés segment today was really fun, thanks science live

    Reply
  15. Leon

    Ethernet is so cool

    Reply
  16. Rody

    how difficult was it when you tried to disable collisions in networks?

    Reply
  17. Aria

    I didn’t know you could tie a cable into a lasso.

    Reply
  18. Marley

    hi from tx!

    Reply
  19. Lorelai

    Hi from MI!

    Reply
  20. Colton

    very interesting

    Reply
  21. Millie

    Yeah I’m interested in her opinion

    Reply
  22. Emma

    That’s a lot of wires.

    Reply
  23. Alyssa

    I love Science Live! It’s my favorite!!

    Reply
  24. Blake

    hi from colrado

    Reply
  25. Jade

    science is cool

    Reply
  26. Deepak

    I love science live

    Reply
  27. Mkaleb

    Hello from Louisiana

    Reply
  28. Connor

    hey from la

    Reply
  29. Leandro

    Great class

    Reply
  30. Henry

    Hey! Happy science live!

    Reply
  31. Lilly

    I love these 🙂 -Georgia

    Reply
  32. Kasen

    I love learning about Ethernet!

    Reply
  33. Kyleigh

    I’m glad the Internet has gotten faster over the years!

    Reply
  34. Jaylani

    What made physics be discovered?

    Reply
  35. Payton

    Hello from KY!

    Reply
  36. Kamari

    Hello from Alabama

    Reply
  37. Allyssa

    Hello from SC

    Reply
  38. Ryan

    If gigabytes of a second or so quick, how exactly do you measure how quick they’re going?

    Reply
  39. Christina

    Since two computers usually take a few seconds for the data to transfer from one computer to another, will it take longer with little to no internet connection than with decent internet connection?
    It somehow makes sense to me…

    Reply
  40. Kaylee

    I love science live!

    Reply
  41. Miguel

    Proud of the great progress you made Dr. Billings!

    Reply
  42. Jamel

    A hi from FL having a pretty good time in school

    Reply
  43. Vance

    Love seeing the Inventioneers demonstration about the Ethernet.

    Reply
  44. Gabriella

    I like the design on Dr. Roger Billings jacket

    Reply
  45. Aunika

    watched from sc

    Reply
  46. Ethan

    technology is really insane it shows how much we get from it

    Reply
  47. Hannah

    Hello from Texas!!

    Reply
  48. Jasmine

    What inspired the idea to make the internet streaming device???

    Reply
  49. Kristin

    Hi from Gainesville FL!

    Reply
  50. Leon

    Hello Mr. Tobias, in your opinion—what exactly does the accomplishment of resolving problems which were found within (computer/device) networks mean for the future of technology?

    Reply
  51. Millie

    Im Millie and I’m having pizza for dinner

    Reply
  52. Zaki

    this is exciting

    Reply
  53. Shaylyn

    Hi from Louisiana.

    Reply
  54. Javier

    Is there any thing called a ultra bite?

    Reply
  55. Ethan

    Another great science live!

    Reply
  56. Jaedrian

    I didn’t know that ron crane was an engineer who invented Ethernet great video

    Reply
  57. Ryan

    If gigabytes of a second are so quick how exactly can you calculate how quick they’re going?

    Reply
  58. Trenton

    Thanks Dr John that was so cool to learn.

    Reply
  59. Sophia

    Hi from Texas *

    Reply
  60. Simon

    Hello! From Texas!

    Reply
  61. Lawrence

    Yess! New episodes

    Reply
  62. Aadish

    Hi , from Germantown Maryland!

    Reply
  63. Leslie

    Howdy from TN

    Reply
  64. Ayaba

    I wonder why they thought he was faking when the invention was right in front of them 🧐

    Reply
  65. Larry

    That’s so awesome!

    Reply
  66. Jaydin

    Hello from Florida

    Reply
  67. Kade

    Wonderful show

    Reply
  68. Javier

    LETS GO SCINCE LIVEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  69. Rahel

    Wow, very exciting!

    Reply
  70. Jude

    Do the proteges come up with what they say on the spot when making their videos? or do they read what they say off a script?

    Reply
  71. Seth

    Great episode today!

    Reply
  72. Kaylee

    this is all very cool I love learning

    Reply
  73. Tristen

    i love scinec live

    Reply
  74. Keilyn

    what was the “collision problem” in early Ethernet, and how was it solved?

    Reply
  75. Gavin

    Hello everyone!!!

    Reply
  76. Michael

    The 100 gig concentrator board is really neat. this is very awesome to learn about.. i am learning so many great things tonight. so neat how the perfect signal looks.

    Reply
  77. Hayden

    Thats so fast!!

    Reply
  78. Anabeth

    I love the way yall explained it. I didn’t think that stuff like this came out in the seventy’s I figured it came out during the late 90s. I think it is pretty cool and I am so thankful.

    Reply
  79. Gianna

    Hello from Texas!

    Reply
  80. Landen

    how low can you get the concentrator to respond

    Reply
  81. Ella

    this is a quite interesting episode!

    Reply
  82. Walker

    thanks for your efforts

    Reply
  83. Jacob

    hello from texas

    Reply
  84. Javier

    How high do giga bite’s get?

    Reply
  85. Damaris

    Hi from Tx

    Reply
  86. Silas

    What is a nano second?

    Reply
  87. Pandora

    Hi from West Virginia

    Reply
  88. Riley

    Nano seconds are very small

    Reply
  89. Devin

    hey from texas

    Reply
  90. Sebastian

    Hi from Texas!!!

    Reply
  91. Narelle

    hello from wi!

    Reply
  92. Bennett

    I like this episode.

    Reply
  93. Isadora

    The science lives are always so entertaining and exciting!

    Reply
  94. Cole

    hi SCIEnee LIVE

    Reply
  95. Audrey

    i am signed in

    Reply
  96. Randi

    I love science live it is my favorite!!!!

    Reply
  97. Elias

    hello from texas

    Reply
  98. Johnathan

    this video is very informational thank you

    Reply
  99. Iain

    The streams are always so fun to watch

    Reply
    • Sophia

      Science is so cool! Hello from NC!

      Reply
  100. Camden

    this is cool

    Reply
  101. Julie

    why is it called acellus

    Reply
  102. Levi

    All the inventions he has made is so cool

    Reply
  103. Ailissa

    Hello!! Thank you for this live, see you next time!

    Reply

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