How My Training As An Inventioneer Altered Ethernet
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 »
This Science Live was so fun I had a blast watching this episode.
I love science its the best!
it’ wonderful how researchers have discovered a way to have deaf people be able to hear
Today’s video was fun and interesting.
I loved learning about Ethernet! Thank you science live!
Ethernet is so interesting!
thanks for the video today!
NIC cards are cool!
Not much to note that’s different from the last one (meaning it was great). It did encourage me to look into wifi and overseas connections closer and it was fascinating.
I liked the part where that guy invented internet
Watching now due to different time zones.
Great video very educational!
wow this video was very cool
i loved the proteges i want to learn more about barbed wire
how do you do it
Very interesting to learn!
Dr. Roger Billings is soo interesting!
the ethernet is so fasinating
tech is awesome
yea i cant wait for next weeks sciance live
Another great science live!
in swedish if you are deaf you can get therapy
It’s amazing to see that we are using our gene knowledge for good and helping others live a better life.
Keep the videos coming!
It’s too bad when politics get in the way of inventions or science.
I loved the video so much today, keep up the hard work!
When are stem kits coming to the gold store?
Hello from mississippi!
You got to start simple and when you do a 100 Gigabit Concentrator will turn into 300.
The proteges are funny.
That is a great picture of Dr. Billings with the computers.
cant wait for next weeks live
Hey! I love these videos cause I love technology!:]
what would happen if the computer were just now invented
Cool to learn how Ethernet works!
Can’t wait for the next science live. So interesting
love this cant wait for next weeks live!
man i love science so much
This week was a good one!
I would like to know how many computers are able to operate smoothly with the full duplex system.
Collision removal is an interesting perspective and good idea!
loved this!!! cant wait for next weekkk!!!
This was interesting to learn about!
BILLINGS YOU ARE AMAGING!
I love the science live!
I’m so glad they figured out how to create good networks. I use it to play video games and go to school.
I just learned about Alexander Graham Bell. So happy he invented the telephone!
missing pixels in the sky
it was interesting hearing about the Ethernet, the collisions, and solving the problem.
I love science live
research on illnesses seems to be going faster with AI I think.
It’s fascinating to me how much humans have progressed through the years or even centuries, to understand and put together this technology.
Another great episode on Ethernet. Learned so much. Looking forward to next weeks episode.
thank you for the great video this week!
Excited to watch this edition of science live
I love learning new things on science live!
Always cool to learn something new from science live!
Awesome, glad more are coming soon!
The deaf part seems intruging:)
Excellent video guys! Much love from Houston.
How does that medicine that helps people that can not hear work.
I don’t think R51’s network works.
Wow This was a good Live!
Dr. roger billings is awesome
I enjoyed learning about the FIFO Chip (First In First Out) to help with collisions. Yay Dr. B!
I loved learning about the ethernet.
Loved this episode!
This live is very interesting and I can’t wait for the next one to come!
Comment
It was great hearing about how scientists helped deaf people able to hear!
It’s always so fascinating learning about how much work had to be done to get to where we are now
Love Roger Billings and science live
I love sceince live.
That is so interesting to learn about the programming languages! It is so cool to think about how many different languages there are, even ones for computers!!
Wow that’s amazing that they found away for deaf people to hear!
I think it’s crazy that the other scientists didn’t believe him about finding a solution.
this is cool
I liked the video.
It was so cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This one was very interesting
The collision conversation was my favorite.
Hi from Montana! How is Caleb Dr. B’s grandson?
that was really cool
I’m glad they caught R51! I hope he doesn’t escape again.
I never knew about the programming language! That is so interesting to think there are so many different types of languages, even ones for computers!!
Today was good.
Science Live is so interesting!!
I actually really enjoyed this video. I look forward to the next one
I loved this science live
loved it
Saying hi and happy spring!
Wow! Now def people can hear now.
What a great live this week!
What would the world be like if the ethernet was never made? Also, what if the internet was never made? The world would be very different then what it is now!
Hiii this science live was so fun to listen to i can’t wait for the next!!!
Thank you Dr. Billings and everyone who has given us the technology we now enjoy, and if I am honest now find a necessary part of our lives. As a gamer, I really do appreciate how far such things as internet and streaming has advanced.
I am very proud to say I’m an inventioneer and was inspired by Dr. Billings he is my role model i want to be just like him when I’m older
This was very interesting. I can’t wait for the next one.
I love Learning In science live!
I love science live.
So many different types of wires.
What is a inventioneer
loved this week thank you!
How was ethernet created?
I had a friend who was deaf and the only thing I knew in sign language was “I love you”. Now he had a hearing aid so I can actually have a conversation with him.
It is cool that FIFO can make great speeds.
The idea behinds the balancer for solving the collision problem is brilliant!
Love these vidoes!
I love Tobias, He’s my favorite.
This might be my favorite video yet I loved the part that they discovered how deaf people are going to be able to hear I just love how we can help people who are deaf!!!!
Commenting loved this video so much! *
I love Acellus!!!!!
The video makes my day better
The collision part was interesting, another great video!
So cool
I dream of officially inventing something one day. I already have a few ideas that my parents are helping me work on!
what was that internet that was so “hard” to coppy
Great episode
Awesome video
The problems with the collision were very interesting to learn about!
I really enjoyed this episode! I learned so much from this! I can’t wait to see the next one!!!
The collision problems was really cool to learn about!
All the videos they created are fascinating!
Well cool I never knew acellus could be this interesting
nice video, very interesting!
I like the live
i loved this video so much, thank you for all you guys do!
I learned that the full-duplex Gigabit Ethernet extended the life of copper cabling by exceeding the era’s technical expectations. In 1996, the IEEE launched the 802.3z project, though it initially relied on costly fiber optics. Experts doubted a copper alternative due to signal degradation and the data collisions inherent in traditional Ethernet hubs. To solve this, Dr. Roger Billings developed “concentrators” through the IEEE. Unlike hubs that broadcast data to all ports simultaneously, concentrators processed data sequentially based on arrival time. This hardware shift and wire modifications eliminated interference, leading to the 1999 release and global adoption of the copper-based 802.3ab standard.
This video is awesome cant wait to see more *
Love this so much.
r 51 is fun
Why does it say I’m currently signed in, but when I submit my comment or question it says I wasn’t?
I love science live it is so interesting!
Thank you for explaining Ethernet to me.
Hello from Missouri!!!
I wonder why is Ethernet so important?
I really enjoyed learning about all the things we went over. I thought it was awesome that Dr. Billings was the one who fixed the collisions. Thank y’all for teaching us more about science.
i like the tiny ship! i love science!
Well so interesting I never knew acellus could be this interesting
i love this video
love this video cant wait for more!!!!!!
Is there a science live on inventioneers? Because, I just invented a bracelet that is connected to a ring and it is made out of TRASH metal it’s made out of a broken bracelet a key ring a broken chain to a necklace and a rusty ring and I made a monocle out of metal no one was going to use and I’ve made an underwater robot and lastly i invented the whiteout pen it is a pen where you take the part where you push it down to write and you screw the top part off and there’s whiteout and it’s still in its beginner stage i need to take it and show it to people and I personally think it’s gonna go blow up because so many people have tried and failed but mine works it’s really cool
Science Live always teaches me something new.
Great live!
Loved this weeks video. Thank you
The episode was really interesting. It showed how creative thinking and problem solving can improve real world technology like Ethernet.
When I saw what the “mess” was to clean up the problem, it reminded me that not all solutions are neat and simple. I wonder how many other inventions and improvements looked like this when it first started?
wow so funny
i love science
This video was very informative loved it!
Im happy to be able to participate in this science live. You guys are the best!!!
Awesome Science Live!
what ur favorite dinosaur?
I love the protoeges they are so fun and funny
I love science live.
Another great video! So interesting!
It’s fascinating to hear the backstory of the ‘Billings Folly.’ It’s a great reminder that just because a committee or a group of experts says something is ‘physically impossible’ like full-duplex gigabit over copper it doesn’t mean a solution doesn’t exist. It’s wild to think that the version they doubted is now the global standard we all rely on for high-speed internet today.
Great lecture!
I am glad R51 is back!
Its so cool how they found a way deaf people can HEARR@!@!@!
These lives are my favorite part of the day!!
Its cool knowing that roger billings helped invent the ethernet.
Love learning, can’t wait to learn next week!!
Science Live always makes learning new things so much fun!
Thank you for making Acellus so accessible! Loved this weeks live, a great and educational live as always.
what is an ethernet?
i cant wait to see the next science live i love these
What a great live! Learned so much!
very interesting!! I loved it!!
Loved this weeks science live!
Thank you for the science live!
Cowgirl Pajet?
Turns out the “Billings Folly” was actually the “Billings Win”
Great episode!
Hi from Kansas!
inventions rock!
It was cool to learn about collision problems!