Network of Networks: the Internet

Maray, Tamas

Man has always been hungry for information. As a thinking, intelligent being, he creates various devices to complement his own deficient abilities. The tools for gathering, storing and sharing information and the tools for communication with others have seen tremendous development and many different devices and methods have been invented to satisfy our hunger for information.
One of the most interesting tools is the computer, a device helping us to think. Computers need information to be able to work. The most efficient communication tool of computers is the computer network. Computer networks establish connections among computers and allow them to exchange information and share their resources, leading to a multiplication of the computers' capacities. Computer networks allow us to solve problems that would otherwise be impossible with single machines. The lecture introduces the Internet; it covers the foundations and potential of its functionality, stressing that it is merely a tool to facilitate our work and to enhance our understanding of the world around us.

About the lecturer