• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Health Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • Resource Centers
    • Cancer Resource Center
    • Covid Resource Center
    • Clinical Trials Resource Center
  • Find A Doctor
  • BDO TV
Home / Wellness / General Health / Philip Emeagwali: Father of the Internet

Philip Emeagwali: Father of the Internet

(Photo credit: facebook)
The internet is something we can’t live without. It’s used not only in our phones, but in our homes, our cars, just about everywhere–it’s apart of our life. But it’s hard to say who invented it. There were many mathematicians and scientists who contributed to its development; computers were sending signals to each other as early as the 1950s. But the thing that we know now as the world wide web owes much of its existence to man known Philip Emeagwali, a math whiz who came up with the formula for allowing a large number of computers to communicate at once.

Emeagwali was born to a poor family in Akure, Nigeria, in 1954. Despite his brain for math, he had to drop out of school because his family, who had become war refugees, could no longer afford to send him. He traveled to the United States to study under a scholarship following completion of a correspondence course at the University of London. He received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Oregon State University in 1977. He later moved to Washington DC, receiving in 1986 a master’s degree from George Washington University in ocean and marine engineering, and a second master’s in applied mathematics from the University of Maryland. In addition to those, he also received a doctoral fellowship from the University of Michigan.

At Michigan, he participated in the scientific community’s debate on how to simulate the detection of oil reservoirs using a supercomputer. Growing up in an oil-rich nation and understanding how oil is drilled, Emeagwali decided to use this problem as the subject of his doctoral dissertation. Borrowing an idea from a science fiction story about predicting the weather, Emeagwali decided that rather than using 8 expensive supercomputers he would employ thousands of microprocessors to do the computation.

You May Also Like
7 Proven Ways to Cure an Upset Stomach

According to Time magazine, the only step left was to find 8 machines and connect them. (Remember, it was the 80s.) Through research, he found a machine called the Connection Machine at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, which had sat unused after scientists had given up on figuring out how to make it simulate nuclear explosions. The machine was designed to run 65,536 interconnected microprocessors. In 1987, he applied for and was given permission to use the machine, and remotely from his Ann Arbor, Michigan, location he set the parameters and ran his program. In addition to correctly computing the amount of oil in the simulated reservoir, the machine was able to perform 3.1 billion calculations per second.

His discovery revealed that Emeagwali programmed each of the microprocessors to talk to six neighboring microprocessors at the same time.

(Photo credit: pinterest)

The success of this record-breaking experiment meant that there was now a practical and inexpensive way to use machines like this to speak to each other all over the world. Within a few years, the oil industry…

Continue Reading

The Latest In General Health

scalp eczema

Dr. Shanteria Dixon Black Female ER Physician’s Impact On Community

Dr. Shanteria Dixon is very passionate about her work, and it was a pleasure interviewing her. Through her many words of encouragement and support that she provides other young girls in being able to do what they want when they read more about Dr. Shanteria Dixon Black Female ER Physician’s Impact On Community

Essence Atkins at 50+: “A spirit of gratitude and collaboration”

Essence Atkins, the beautiful actress who played in TV shows like Smart Guy, Half & Half, and even The Cosby Show found another hit in the now syndicated show, Are We There Yet? Atkins, who played mother Suzanne Kingston-Persons on read more about Essence Atkins at 50+: “A spirit of gratitude and collaboration”
Twelve hour intermittent fasting time concept with clock on plate.

Intermittent Fasting: The Best Kept Weight Loss Secret

Intermittent fasting is a popular health and fitness trend these days. It is not a diet but an eating pattern that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. It's used to lose weight, improve one’s health, and simplify one's lifestyle. read more about Intermittent Fasting: The Best Kept Weight Loss Secret
Black history month

10 Brilliant Black Books For Black History Month

Reading is power. Don't think so? Just ask our ancestors who were slaves. The statute below, passed by the state of North Carolina in 1830—1831, was fairly typical. AN ACT TO PREVENT ALL PERSONS FROM TEACHING SLAVES TO READ OR read more about 10 Brilliant Black Books For Black History Month
medical career

Overcoming Societal Barriers in Pursuit of My Medical Career

My journey has not been easy, but it has led me to joy and lifelong lessons that future doctors and current physicians can learn from My journey to becoming a successful woman in medicine has not been the typical one. read more about Overcoming Societal Barriers in Pursuit of My Medical Career
morning ritual

Small Changes, Big Wins: Morning Rituals that Lead to Success

“You have the same 24 hours a day as Beyoncé.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this quote run across my social media timelines, but I know it strikes a nerve for me. It’s true, we all read more about Small Changes, Big Wins: Morning Rituals that Lead to Success

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Poll

Popular Posts

  • 10 Signs You’re Living With Clogged Arteries 10 Signs You’re Living With Clogged Arteries
  • Mo’Nique at 55: Slimmer, Happier & Wiser: “I Love Us For Real”Mo'Nique at 55: Slimmer, Happier & Wiser: "I Love Us For Real"
  • Monica Calhoun at 51: “Exude Beauty Inside, Manifest It Outside”Monica Calhoun at 51: "Exude Beauty Inside, Manifest It Outside"
  • Al B. Sure First Interview Since Waking Up from ComaAl B. Sure First Interview Since Waking Up from Coma
  • 7 Foods That Replenish Your Liver 7 Foods That Replenish Your Liver

Podcast

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

Learn More About

  • Hepatitis C
  • Diabetes
  • Sickle Cell
  • Mental Health
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • BlackDoctor.org Advertising and Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2023, BlackDoctor, Inc. All rights reserved.