How the Internet Was Built
How the Internet Was Built — an illustrated inventions story, set in Global. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Inventions.
Page 1
Marisol shivered as the wind howled across the frozen tundra. "Grandpa Sven, are you sure this is the right place to look for fossils?" she asked, pulling her thick fur-lined hood tighter around her face. Sven chuckled, his breath misting in the frigid air. "Patience, little explorer!"
Page 2
Sven pointed towards a deep ravine carved into the icy landscape. "See that canyon, Marisol? The wind and snow have exposed layers of rock. That's where we'll find our prehistoric treasures." He began trudging towards the canyon, his snowshoes crunching loudly on the frozen ground. Marisol carefully followed, clutching her worn leather notebook to her chest and eyeing the rough terrain.
Page 3
Inside the canyon, Marisol spotted something peculiar sticking out of the frozen mud. "Grandpa, look!" she exclaimed, kneeling down. It was a fragment of an old photograph, encased in ice. Brushing away the snow, she could just make out the image – a blurry picture of... a computer?
Page 4
"A computer?" she questioned, turning to Sven, "What's a picture of a computer doing frozen in this canyon, Grandpa?" Sven examined the fragment. "That's odd, Marisol. It doesn't make sense." Suddenly, the notebook in Marisol's hands began to glow, bathing the canyon in a warm light.
Page 5
The light intensified, swirling around them. Sven grabbed Marisol's hand tightly. "Here we go again!" he yelled over the growing roar. The world dissolved into a kaleidoscope of colors, and Marisol squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the journey.
Page 6
They landed with a thump in what looked like a bustling university laboratory. Men in tweed jackets and women in practical dresses hurried around, surrounded by stacks of papers and strange-looking machines. A distinguished gentleman with a neatly trimmed mustache looked up from his work. "Welcome, friends!" he declared in a booming voice.
Page 7
"I'm Paul Baran," the man announced, extending a hand. "And you must be time travelers! I'm working with a team here at RAND to solve a rather pressing problem: how to keep communication lines open even during a catastrophic event." Marisol's eyes widened. "You mean... like a war?" Baran nodded grimly. "Precisely. We're pioneering something called 'packet switching.'"
Page 8
"Instead of one continuous line, we break messages into small 'packets' and send them along different routes," Baran explained, sketching furiously on a chalkboard. "If one path is blocked, the packets simply find another way to their destination!" He then said something interesting, "As Albert Einstein said, 'In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.' This communication challenge is our opportunity to build a more resilient network!" Marisol scribbled notes furiously in her notebook, remembering the frozen photograph.
Page 9
Suddenly, the familiar swirling light reappeared. Baran smiled. "Time to go, eh? Remember, young one, the internet's roots are here, in the desire to connect even when things get tough. Today, the internet drives over 4 trillion in e-commerce annually," he mentioned as the laboratory faded from view. Marisol closed her notebook with a snap, already planning her report.
Page 10
Back in the tundra canyon, Marisol grinned. "Imagine, Grandpa, from avoiding war to connecting billions!" she exclaimed. Sven chuckled. "Indeed! Now, let's get back to finding some fossils, shall we? Maybe we'll discover the first web designer's tools!" Marisol laughed, already thinking about her next trip with the magical encyclopedia.
About this story
- Location: Global
- Audience: kids (ages 6–12)
Questions and answers
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