Hey there! I’m Mike, and welcome to the Mental Floss video. Did you know that the famous author Ray Bradbury was once asked by Yahoo to put all his books online? He wasn’t a fan of the idea and didn’t think much of the internet.
Today, I’m going to share some cool facts about the internet. Back in the 1950s and 1960s, the internet was already being developed, but it wasn’t called the “internet” until the 1970s. The first message ever sent over the internet was just the letters “L” and “O” as someone tried to log in from one computer to another.
Tim Berners-Lee is the genius who invented the World Wide Web, which is different from the internet itself. In 2014, he joked that the most surprising thing about the internet was the popularity of kittens!
Al Gore, a former U.S. Vice President, helped the internet grow by writing a law in 1986 to connect universities with high-speed cables. The first domain name ever registered was symbolics.com in 1985. Ray Tomlinson, who sent the first emails, said they were “entirely forgettable.”
Did you know it takes longer to say “www” than “World Wide Web”? Also, the creator of GIFs says it’s pronounced “GIF.” The term “Wi-Fi” doesn’t stand for anything; it was just a catchy name inspired by “hi-fi” stereos.
In 2014, New York City’s mayor wanted to turn old payphones into Wi-Fi hotspots. Many popular websites like Match.com, Vimeo, and Tinder are owned by the same company.
In 1993, a cartoon in The New Yorker showed two dogs with the caption, “On the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.” It became super popular, earning the artist over $50,000. Rick Astley’s song “Never Gonna Give You Up” became an internet joke called “Rickrolling,” but he didn’t make much money from it.
In 2003, a Canadian student created a website named microsoft.com, leading to a legal battle with Microsoft. They settled by giving him Microsoft products, including an Xbox.
Even though the internet seems everywhere, only about 40% of people worldwide use it. China has the most users, with around 600 million, while Iceland has the highest percentage of users, with over 98% of its people online.
In the Philippines, 93% of adult internet users are on social media, compared to about 74% in the U.S. More women than men use social media in the U.S., but the difference is small.
BuzzFeed gets 75% of its traffic from social media and has posted thousands of articles about cats. A study found that 71% of American adults online use Facebook. Facebook also found that seeing positive posts makes people post positively, and negative posts do the opposite.
One in five divorces involves Facebook, often because people reconnect with old partners. The creators of YouTube met while working at PayPal.
In 2001, a jet sold on eBay for $4.9 million, the most expensive purchase there. In 2011, a woman in Georgia accidentally cut a cable, knocking out the internet in Armenia for five hours.
Underwater cables keep the internet running, but sharks sometimes damage them. A study found a link between sadism and online trolling, suggesting trolls might enjoy causing trouble.
Internet addiction has been studied for years, with findings showing that addicts’ brains are similar to those of drug or alcohol addicts. There are even rehab centers for internet addiction. Experts think Google affects our memory because we tend to forget things we can easily look up.
If you printed the whole internet, it would be between 68.1 and 136 billion pages. The most common password is “123456,” followed by “password.” People usually spend less than a minute on a website before leaving.
A study of internet memes found that 45% featured Caucasian people, while only 2% featured Hispanic people. Older Americans spend more time online than watching TV or reading newspapers, mostly on Facebook.
Blogging can be therapeutic, helping teens with anxiety feel better about themselves.
The average American home with two teens has about 10 internet-connected devices, and experts think this will grow to 250 devices by 2022.
Thanks for watching Mental Floss! If you liked this video, check out my YouTube channel, Idea Channel, and my podcast, Reasonably Sound. Share your thoughts on the GIF vs. JIF debate in the comments below!
Create a timeline of the major events in the history of the internet. Use the facts from the article to highlight key moments, such as the first message sent over the internet and the invention of the World Wide Web. You can use online tools or poster boards to make your timeline visually appealing.
Participate in a class debate about the positive and negative impacts of the internet on society. Use examples from the article, like the influence of social media on behavior and the concept of internet addiction, to support your arguments.
Choose one of the important figures mentioned in the article, such as Tim Berners-Lee or Ray Tomlinson, and research their contributions to the internet. Present your findings to the class in a short presentation or report.
Write a short story or essay imagining what the internet will be like in 20 years. Consider the article’s mention of the growing number of connected devices and how this might change daily life. Share your vision with your classmates.
Create a quiz based on the fun facts from the article. Use online quiz platforms to make it interactive and test your classmates’ knowledge about the internet. Include questions about famous internet moments and unusual stories.
Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hey there, I’m Mike. Welcome to the Mental Floss video! Did you know that the company Yahoo once tried to convince Ray Bradbury to make all of his books available online? Bradbury’s response was quite strong: he was not in favor of it and had little regard for the internet.
Today, I’m going to share some fun facts about the internet. In the ’50s and ’60s, the internet was already in the process of being invented, but it wasn’t until the ’70s that it got the name “internet.” The first message ever sent through the internet consisted of the letters “L” and “O,” which was an attempt to log in from one computer to another.
Tim Berners-Lee is the man who invented the World Wide Web, which is different from the internet. In 2014, he was asked what surprised him most about internet usage, and he humorously mentioned kittens.
Al Gore played a significant role in the development of the internet; he wrote the Supercomputer Network Study Act in 1986, which explored ways to connect universities and research centers via high-capacity fiber optic cables. In 1985, the first-ever domain name was registered: symbolics.com, a computer corporation. The first emails were sent by Ray Tomlinson, who doesn’t remember the original messages, describing them as “entirely forgettable.”
Interestingly, it takes longer to say “www” than “World Wide Web” due to the number of syllables. The creator of the GIF format has claimed that the proper pronunciation is “GIF.” The “Wi-Fi” term doesn’t actually stand for anything; it was originally a play on “hi-fi” like stereos, and later it was marketed as the standard for wireless fidelity.
In 2014, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced proposals to convert payphones into Wi-Fi hotspots. Many popular websites are owned by the same company, such as Match.com, Vimeo, and Tinder.
In 1993, The New Yorker ran a cartoon featuring two dogs and the caption, “On the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.” This cartoon went viral, earning the artist over $50,000 in reprints.
Rick Astley, known for the song “Never Gonna Give You Up,” has earned limited royalties from the Rickrolling phenomenon, despite the video having around 133 million views. In 2008, Shea Stadium got Rickrolled when fans voted for the song to be played during the eighth inning.
In 2003, a Canadian high school student created the website microsoft.com, leading to a legal dispute with Microsoft, which eventually settled by providing him with Microsoft products, including an Xbox.
While the internet may seem ubiquitous, only about 40% of people worldwide use it. China has the most internet users, with about 600 million, while Iceland has the highest percentage of internet users, with over 98% of its citizens online.
In the U.S., 93% of adult internet users in the Philippines use social networking sites, compared to about 74% in the U.S. Interestingly, more women than men use social networking sites in the U.S., though the difference is only about 4%.
BuzzFeed generates 75% of its traffic from social media and has posted around 22,500 articles about cats since its founding in 2006. A study found that 71% of American adults who spend time online are on Facebook. Facebook conducted a study that showed people exposed to positive posts were more likely to post positive things themselves, while those who saw negative posts were more likely to post negatively.
According to a 2010 study, one in five divorces involves Facebook, often due to reconnecting with old partners. The creators of YouTube all met while working at PayPal.
In 2001, a jet sold on eBay for $4.9 million, making it the most expensive eBay purchase ever. In 2011, a 75-year-old woman in Georgia accidentally cut a cable while searching for copper, which resulted in the internet being down for the entire country of Armenia for five hours.
There are many underwater cables that keep the internet running, but unfortunately, sharks sometimes damage them. A 2014 study found a strong association between sadism and online trolling behavior, suggesting that online trolls may be everyday sadists.
Internet addiction has been researched for years, with studies showing that the brains of internet addicts resemble those of people addicted to drugs or alcohol. There are even rehab centers for internet addiction. Experts believe that Google impacts our memory, as people tend to forget information they can easily look up later.
If you printed the entire internet, it would amount to between 68.1 and 136 billion pages. Currently, the most popular password is “123456,” followed by “password.” A study found that the average time spent on a website before clicking away is less than one minute.
Another study analyzed over a thousand internet memes and found that 45% featured Caucasian individuals, while only 2% featured Hispanic individuals. American Baby Boomers and seniors spend more time online than they do watching TV, listening to the radio, or reading newspapers, with much of that time spent on Facebook.
According to the American Psychological Association, blogging can be therapeutic and may help teens with anxiety improve their self-esteem.
Finally, the average American household with two teenage children currently has about 10 devices connected to the internet, and experts estimate that this will increase to 250 devices by 2022.
Thanks for watching Mental Floss! If you enjoyed this video, check out my YouTube channel, Idea Channel, and my podcast, Reasonably Sound. Leave your thoughts on the GIF vs. JIF debate in the comments below!
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This version removes any inappropriate language and maintains a professional tone while preserving the original content’s essence.
Internet – A global network of computers that allows people to share information and communicate with each other. – Example sentence: “The internet is a great resource for finding information on any topic you can think of.”
Computers – Electronic devices that process data and perform tasks according to a set of instructions called programs. – Example sentence: “Computers have become essential tools for both education and entertainment.”
Social – Relating to the way people interact and communicate with each other, often through online platforms. – Example sentence: “Social networks like Facebook and Instagram help people stay connected with friends and family.”
Media – Various means of communication, such as television, radio, newspapers, and the internet, that reach or influence people widely. – Example sentence: “Digital media has transformed the way we consume news and entertainment.”
Websites – Collections of related web pages located under a single domain name, accessible via the internet. – Example sentence: “Educational websites can be a great help when doing homework or research projects.”
Addiction – A strong and harmful need to regularly have or do something, such as using the internet excessively. – Example sentence: “Internet addiction can lead to spending too much time online and neglecting other important activities.”
Online – Connected to or available through the internet. – Example sentence: “Many students prefer online learning because it offers flexibility and access to a wide range of resources.”
Users – People who use computers, devices, or services, especially those connected to the internet. – Example sentence: “Internet users should be cautious about sharing personal information online.”
Devices – Electronic tools or machines, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops, used to access the internet and perform tasks. – Example sentence: “Mobile devices have made it easier for people to stay connected wherever they go.”
Memes – Humorous images, videos, or pieces of text that are copied and spread rapidly by internet users. – Example sentence: “Memes often go viral on social media, making people laugh and share them with friends.”
