The internet wouldn’t be possible without Philip Emeagwali, a Nigerian-American computer scientist. He achieved distributed computing breakthroughs that helped lead to the development of the internet. His work with simultaneous calculations on connected microprocessors earned him a Gordon Bell Prize, considered the Nobel Prize of computing.
My focus is not on solving nature’s deeper mysteries. It is on using nature’s deeper mysteries to solve important societal problems.”
Many call him the father of the internet. Emeagwali created a formula that used 65,000 separate computer processors to perform 3.1 billion calculations per second in 1989. His formula led to computer scientists comprehending the capabilities of supercomputers and the practical applications of creating a system that allowed multiple computers to communicate. Emeagwali is recognized as one of the fathers of the internet.
Supercomputers range from $30 million to $100 million dollars and computer companies had reservations about building them due to fear that they would be able to sell them.
“At that time, the argument was, ‘We shouldn’t build computers that way because who can program them?’ ” said Emeagwali, who is also a civil engineer. “I answered that question by successfully programming them.”
Future applications for Emeagwali’s breakthroughs with the use of data generated by massively parallel computers include weather forecasting and the study of global warming. CNN.
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 Web owes much of its existence to 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. As a young man, he earned a general education certificate from the University of London and later degrees from George Washington University and the University of Maryland, as well as 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.
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.
The crux of the discovery was that Emeagwali had programmed each of the microprocessors to talk to six neighboring microprocessors at the same time.
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 had seized upon this idea, then called the Hyperball International Network creating a virtual worldwide web of ultrafast digital communication.
The discovery earned him the Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers’ Gordon Bell Prize in 1989, considered the Nobel Prize of computing, and he was later hailed as one of the fathers of the Internet. Since then, he has won more than 100 prizes for his work and Apple computer has used his microprocessor technology in their Power Mac G4 model. Today he lives in Washington with his wife and son.
Isn’t it funny how many of you never knew this before, when it has been published by major publications like Time and CNN just to name a few? Why hasn’t there been a documentary or any reference to his story in the history books our children read? Why is Africa so behind on internet connections when it was founded by an African?
Wow. I never knew this! Thanks for teaching me about this man Nu Planet!
The greatest mind on Earth as at now. The whites will do anything to pull him down be he is very smart and always talks about his achievements so that it will continue ringing bells in the haters minds. This is what every smart black inventor much do. Igbo kwen
Us whites are salty about black geniuses. Bill Clinton made a speech about this man and about how his formula is what made the computer perform 3.1 billion calculations per second. It's better for us whites to remain silent instead of spewing hate against a black that gave us contributions for our world.
Why remain silent? Shout it to the world.
He is an Igbo man from Nigeria. Wonderful.
Same thing happens if you are female and invent anything. Erased from history.
I applaud you for your comment!
Our present internet runs on the parallel processing computations, which is the fastest. This was made possible by Dr Emeagwali's parallel processing innovation which made 3.1 billion calculations per second.
This is so pathetic that some people who surf the internet using this noble innovation still disrespect the humble scientist whose ingenuity made this possible.
So many jealous whites
They´re jealous because they´re parasites. they can´t create nothing!!!
Fun Fact: Bill Gates stole from this man.
Because that’s all they can do is steal.
He is really did invent the internet and white society has been trying to change history but it looks like black people are finally waking up to the truth now.
THE CURTAIN HAS BEEN PULLED BACK, AND THERE IS NO GREAT AND POWERFUL WIZARD OF OZ, JUST AN OLD, EVIL ,DECEITFUL, WHITE MAN ,WITH A LOT OF SMOKE AND MIRRORS .SMDH
I think I may be dumb because I had no clue this genius even existed.
The elites are a fraud. They have conned us with lies and hidden the truth from us. Good to know this man is finally getting at least some recognition now.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PLEASE GOOGLE:
"BLACK HOSTING SOLUTION EMEAGWALI".
THIS STORY WAS WRITTEN BY BLACK HOSTING SOLUTION – I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THESE GUYS FOR YEARS. THEY ARE THE TRUTH! AND THEY HAVE THE BEST AND MOST EXPENSIVE HOSTING ON THE PLANET!
This man is so amazing. He really does a good job at explaining and has such a pleasant personality. I believe he may be the black Bill Gates.
Folks, let's not let that tired stereotype of the Nigerian con man blind you. The fact is having 3 degrees and making some notable contributions to the computing community already makes him far smarter then most of us.
HE IS A GENUS HE IS A BIAFRAN BIAFRANS ARE KNOWN FOR THIS TYPE OF INVENTION BUT NIGERIA IS DRAGING BIAFRA BACKWARDS LET THE WHOLE WORLD UNITE AND SUPPORT BIAFRAN REFERENDUM WE WILL DO MORE FOR THE PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE WORLD.
without igbo´s nigeria is nothing. British and nigeria know the truth is why they forced Biafrans to be one country with hausa/fulani and yorubas. #BusinessAndAfricanWorld
one hundred percent right.
The greatest mind on Earth as at now. The whites will do anything to pull him down be he is very smart and always talks about his achievements so that it will continue ringing bells in the haters minds. This is what every smart black inventor much do.
Philip Emeagwali, a black Nigerian and FATHER Of THE INTERNET, helped give birth to the supercomputer, the technology that spawned the Internet. He invented a formula that allows supercomputers powered by thousands of processors to perform the world’s fastest calculations. His discovery inspired the reinvention of computers into supercomputers that utilize thousands of processors.
This guy is essentially saying " Africans should train and develop it's citizens , so as to take away Jobs from westerners thru. the Internet .. ….The Fact is , this guy knows when the Playing fields are leveled , Westerners cannot compete intellectually with Africans … His work was very important to the emergence of the internet. That’s why CNN and TIME magazine praised him. My point is that he is not given much credit because of his race. It is a fact whether you like it or not.
It America there are so-ooo many Africans of many professions that have signed agreements that they must remain here to work in their fields of profession to promote intellectual property here . They cannot leave. I have met many Continental Africans that are in very key positions in all sectors. Yet, the public does not have a clue.
Agree! 💕
I think this man has a vision which I hope will come; africa needs more thinkers like this
I agree. Knowing how to program a computer is no small feat, let alone, designing a super-computer as Emeagwali did.
Philip Emeagwali, a black Nigerian and FATHER Of THE INTERNET, helped give birth to the supercomputer, the technology that spawned the Internet. He invented a formula that allows supercomputers powered by thousands of processors to perform the world’s fastest calculations. His discovery inspired the reinvention of computers into supercomputers that utilize thousands of processors.
Philip Emeagwali has the 3rd highest iq recorded at 190.
I find all of this very exciting! Working to get Africa on more then just a physical map would be a big step to better futures, better elections, more awareness, more scientific involvement. I think all of these things would be a great step in the right direction.
Our present internet runs on the parallel processing computations, which is the fastest. This was made possible by Dr Emeagwali’s parallel processing innovation which made 3.1 billion calculations per second.
This is so pathetic that some people who surf the internet using this noble innovation still disrespect the humble scientist whose ingenuity made this possible.
Kudos for your scientific discoveries. No doubts, Philip Emeagwali is the foremost scientist of African descent in America.
FATHER OF INTERNET
The racists are trying to run a smear campaign on this man. Well if you guys say he is a fraud then CNN and Time should also be frauds, but this is not possible because Nu Planet is a respectable news organization, so I think the frauds here are the racists and the idiots who have no future but are mad on how an African became this smart, hahahaaha STOP RACISM AND LOVE EACH OTHER.
His work was very important to the emergence of the internet. That's why CNN and TIME magazine praised him. My point is that he is not given much credit because of his race. It is a fact whether you like it or not.
THE CURTAIN HAS BEEN PULLED BACK, AND THERE IS NO GREAT AND POWERFUL WIZARD OF OZ, JUST AN OLD, EVIL ,DECEITFUL, WHITE MAN ,WITH A LOT OF SMOKE AND MIRRORS .SMDH
What? So all the other work Caucasians did in creating the internet was just hot air because some of his work was cutting edge in the 90's? That's such a jerk thing to say. We still thank this man for giving us the internet. I’d be lost without the net.
The comments here fuelled racial prejudice,if you know your onions in the world today you break racial walls. Emeagwali has been in the news for his achievement for long enough for the glory to be taking by any other race than his. You know things through reading and learning.’sky is a stepping stone’.
This man is a GIFT FROM GOD; The Creator of all things. Expect from God soonest things which eyes have not seen nor hears have heard or come to the minds of body. Our God is indeed Great and Mighty.
Thank God for an African like Dr Emeagweli. More inventions is still to come from the African community.
GOD CREATED IGBO’S TO SOLVE WORLD PROBLEMS, UNTIL BIAFRA IS RESTORED, THE WORLD WILL NOT SEE THE LIGHT. IGBO’S HAVE MANYTHINGS TO OFFER TO THE WORLD. BIAFRA! BIAFRA!! BIAFRA’S !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IN BIAFRE THE THE WHOLE WORLD WILL SEE LIGHT.
Wow!
This is the right time to us blacks to Work hardly to show that we are human being like others people!
Wow! This is AWESOME INDEED! Thanks Nubian for publishing this.
Thank you for sharing this information. I never knew that it was a black man who was the creator of the internet. I am 72 years old. Why is this not a movie? Then everyone would know! 🙄🤔🤐
Now that’s a useful comment!
THANKING GOD FOR THE EXPOSURE !☝🏾🙌🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾✌🏾
this is an indication that one day, africa will occupy its rightful position in world affairs. We should eschew violence, laziness and hatred and above encourage our young minds to do more.
Thanks for that good information. Gode bless I n I bro ffom Nigéria.
The story I was told was a lie…. That the internet was created by the US Navy to communicate between army bases then it went viral. Thanks for opening my eyes to the truth.
Creativity is in our DNA as Nubian people .We begun civilization but the Caucasian still saying we’re uncivilised.No wonder we are the most hate race on the face of the earth.I know the Ethiopian shall rise, because as it was in the beginning so shall it be in the very end
Thank you for allowing the truth to come out thank you this is a blessing.
Wow. I am stunned!