ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Andrew Blum - Network author
For his new book, "Tubes," Andrew Blum visited the places where the internet exists in physical form: the cables and switches and servers that virtually connect us.

Why you should listen

In his book Tubes: A Journey to the Center of the Internet, Andrew Blum wanted to capture the "spirit of place" of the Internet. Because as far-reaching and virtual as our connection to the Net is, the signals travel on good old-fashioned cabling, glass fibers jacketed in polymer, running through conduit under streets. The immaterial Internet runs on a very material, industry-like infrastructure. So that when Alaska senator Ted Stevens called the Internet "a series of tubes" ... well, he was kind of right, and he did inspire the title of this utterly fascinating book, which explores the switches, data centers, sea crossings and many, many tubes that make up our online reality.

Blum is a writer for Newsweek, and has written for Wired, Popular Science, Metropolis and more.

Learn more about Tubes:

Read excerpts on submarine cables and Internet exchange points (like 60 Hudson in NYC).

Browse book club materials (from the Amherst Reads book club)

Listen to Andrew Blum's audio interview on Fresh Air

 

More profile about the speaker
Andrew Blum | Speaker | TED.com
TEDGlobal 2012

Andrew Blum: Discover the physical side of the internet

Znotraj fizičnega

Filmed:
1,521,702 views

Po tem, ko mu je veverica prežvečila kabel in ga pustila brez internetne povezave, se je novinar Andrew Blum začel spraševati iz česa je internet sploh narejen. Zato se je odpravil na pot, da si ogleda vse - podmorske kable, skrita stikala in ostale fizične dele, ki sestavljajo splet.
- Network author
For his new book, "Tubes," Andrew Blum visited the places where the internet exists in physical form: the cables and switches and servers that virtually connect us. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:16
I've always writtennapisano primarilypredvsem about architecturearhitektura,
0
827
2031
Vedno sem pisal o arhitekturi,
00:18
about buildingszgradbe, and writingpisanje about architecturearhitektura
1
2858
2525
o zgradbah,
in pisanje o arhitekturi
00:21
is basedtemelji on certainnekateri assumptionspredpostavke.
2
5383
2741
temelji na določenih domnevah.
00:24
An architectarhitekt designsmodeli a buildingstavbe, and it becomespostane a placemesto,
3
8124
2458
Arhitekt ustvari zasnuje stavbo,
ki se razvije v prostor,
00:26
or manyveliko architectsarhitekti designoblikovanje manyveliko buildingszgradbe, and it becomespostane
4
10582
2480
več arhitektov pa zasnuje več stavb,
ki se razvijejo v mesto.
00:28
a citymesto, and regardlessne glede na to of this complicatedzapleteno mixmešamo of forcessile
5
13062
3274
In kljub tej zapleteni mešanici sil
politike, kulture in ekonomije,
ki te kraje ustvarijo,
00:32
of politicspolitiko and culturekulturo and economicsekonomija that shapesoblike
6
16336
2397
00:34
these placesmesta, at the endkonec of the day, you can go
7
18733
3003
jih lahko ob koncu dneva mirno obiščemo.
Lahko se po njih sprehodimo.
00:37
and you can visitobisk them. You can walkhodi around them.
8
21736
2656
Lahko jih vdihnemo.
Lahko jih občutimo.
00:40
You can smellvonj them. You can get a feel for them.
9
24392
1673
00:41
You can experienceizkušnje theirnjihovi sensesmisel of placemesto.
10
26065
3493
Lahko izkusimo njihov obstoj kot kraj.
00:45
But what was strikingpresenetljivo to me over the last severalveč yearslet
11
29558
2349
Toda v zadnjih nekaj letih me je osupnilo to,
00:47
was that lessmanj and lessmanj was I going out into the worldsvet,
12
31907
3375
da sem se vedno manj podajal v svet
00:51
and more and more, I was sittingsedi in frontspredaj of my computerračunalnik screenzaslon.
13
35282
3229
in se vedno bolj pogosto znašel
pred računalniškim zaslonom.
00:54
And especiallyše posebej sinceod about 2007, when I got an iPhoneiPhone,
14
38511
4320
Še bolj pogosto pa od leta 2007,
ko sem kupil svoj iPhone,
00:58
I was not only sittingsedi in frontspredaj of my screenzaslon all day,
15
42831
1876
in nisem cele dneve le posedal pred zaslonom,
01:00
but I was alsotudi gettingpridobivanje up at the endkonec of the day
16
44707
2097
toda sem ob koncu dneva tudi gledal
01:02
and looking at this little screenzaslon that I carriedprevažajo in my pocketžep.
17
46804
3300
v ta majhen zaslon,
ki sem ga imel v žepu.
01:06
And what was surprisingpresenetljivo to me was how quicklyhitro
18
50104
2859
Presenetilo me je,
kako hitro se je spremenil
01:08
my relationshiprazmerje to the physicalfizično worldsvet had changedspremenjeno.
19
52963
2937
moj odnos do fizičnega sveta.
01:11
In this very shortkratek periodobdobje of time, you know, whetherali you
20
55900
1775
V tem zelo kratkem času,
01:13
call it the last 15 yearslet or so of beingbiti onlinena spletu, or the last,
21
57675
3456
naj bo to zadnjih 15 let,
ki jih preživljamo na spletu,
ali pa zadnjih štiri, pet let,
ko je splet del našega vsakdana,
01:17
you know, fourštiri or fivepet yearslet of beingbiti onlinena spletu all the time,
22
61131
2959
01:19
our relationshiprazmerje to our surroundingsokolje had changedspremenjeno in that
23
64090
3174
se je naš odnos
do okolja spremenil v
razdvojenost naše pozornosti.
01:23
our attentionpozornost is constantlynenehno dividedrazdeljen. You know,
24
67264
1799
01:24
we're bothoboje looking insideznotraj the screenszasloni and we're looking
25
69063
2564
Obenem gledamo v ekrane
in opazujemo svet okrog nas.
01:27
out in the worldsvet around us.
26
71627
1832
01:29
And what was even more strikingpresenetljivo to me, and what I really
27
73459
2527
Še bolj pa me je osupnilo
in mi tudi ni dalo miru to,
da mi je svet znotraj zaslona dal vtis,
01:31
got hungvisi up on, was that the worldsvet insideznotraj the screenzaslon
28
75986
3002
01:34
seemedzdelo se mi je to have no physicalfizično realityrealnost of its ownlastno.
29
78988
3789
da je brez lastne fizične resničnosti.
01:38
If you wentšla and lookedpogledal for imagesslike of the InternetInternet,
30
82777
2768
Če si želel poiskati slike interneta,
01:41
this was all that you foundnajdemo, this famousslavni imagesliko by OpteOPTE
31
85545
3118
je to vse kar si našel,
to slavno Optejevo sliko
01:44
of the InternetInternet as the kindvrste of MilkyMlečno Way, this infiniteneskončno expanseprostranstva
32
88663
3130
interneta kot neke vrste Rimska cesta,
ki se razprostira v neskončnost
01:47
where we don't seemzdi se to be anywherekjerkoli on it.
33
91793
2096
in se ne najdemo nikjer znotraj nje.
01:49
We can never seemzdi se to graspprijem it in its totalitycelota.
34
93889
2424
Nikoli je ne zmoremo dojeti v celoti.
01:52
It's always remindedopomniti me of the ApolloApollo imagesliko of the EarthZemlja,
35
96313
3617
Mene vedno spominja na sliko Zemlje,
ki jo je posnel Apollo,
slika modre frnikole.
01:55
the bluemodra marblemarmor pictureslika, and it's similarlypodobno meantpomeni to suggestpredlagajte,
36
99930
2730
Zdi se mi,
da na podoben način namiguje.
01:58
I think, that we can't really understandrazumeti it as a wholeceloto.
37
102660
2697
da je ne moremo v razumeti v celoti.
02:01
We're always sortRazvrsti of smallmajhna in the faceobraz of its expanseprostranstva.
38
105357
3685
Vedno smo majhni navkljub njeni razsežnosti.
02:04
So if there was this worldsvet and this screenzaslon, and if there was
39
109042
3365
Če bi torej imel ta zaslonski svet
in okrog sebe fizični svet,
02:08
the physicalfizično worldsvet around me, I couldn'tni mogel ever get them
40
112407
2857
ju ne bi nikoli uspel
združiti na enem mestu.
02:11
togetherskupaj in the sameenako placemesto.
41
115264
2981
02:14
And then this happenedse je zgodilo.
42
118245
3207
In potem se je zgodilo to.
Kot se občasno zgodi,
sem nekega dne izgubil internetno povezavo,
02:17
My InternetInternet brokezlomil one day, as it occasionallyobčasno does,
43
121452
2598
02:19
and the cablekabel guy cameprišel to fixpopravi it, and he startedzačel with
44
124050
2734
prišel jo je popraviti serviser,
ki je začel s
prašno kepo kablov za kavčem,
02:22
the dustyprašni clumpZrno of cableskabli behindzadaj the couchKavč,
45
126784
2127
sledil ji je pred hišo,
v klet in ven na dvorišče,
02:24
and he followedsledi it to the frontspredaj of my buildingstavbe and into the basementklet and out to the back yarddvorišče,
46
128911
3210
02:28
and there was this bigvelik jumblepackarije of cableskabli againstproti the wallzid.
47
132121
2876
kjer je našel zmešnjavo kablov ob steni.
02:30
And then he saw a squirrelveverica runningteče alongskupaj the wirežica,
48
134997
2554
In potem je zagledal veverico,
ki je tekla ob žici,
02:33
and he said, "There's your problemproblem.
49
137551
2791
in mi je dejal,
tukaj je vaš problem.
02:36
A squirrelveverica is chewingžvečenje on your InternetInternet." (LaughterSmeh)
50
140342
4421
Veverica žveči vaš internet.
(Smeh)
To se mi je zdelo osupljivo.
02:40
And this seemedzdelo se mi je astoundingpresenetljivo. The InternetInternet is
51
144763
3127
Internet je transcendentna zamisel.
Je serija protokolov, ki je spremenila
02:43
a transcendentUzvišen ideaideja. It's a setnastavite of protocolsprotokoli that has changedspremenjeno
52
147890
3374
02:47
everything from shoppingnakupovanje to datingdating to revolutionsrevolucij.
53
151264
3455
vse od nakupovanja
do zmenkov in revolucij.
02:50
It was unequivocallynedvoumno not something
54
154719
2629
Zatrdno ni nekaj,
02:53
a squirrelveverica could chewžvečiti on. (LaughterSmeh)
55
157348
3311
kar bi bila veverica zmožna prežvečiti.
(Smeh)
Toda kljub temu je prišlo do tega.
02:56
But that in factdejstvo seemedzdelo se mi je to be the caseprimera.
56
160659
1878
02:58
A squirrelveverica had in factdejstvo chewedžvečenje on my InternetInternet. (LaughterSmeh)
57
162537
3202
Veverica je nedvomno prežvečila moj internet.
(Smeh)
03:01
And then I got this imagesliko in my headglava of what would happense zgodi
58
165739
2187
Potem pa sem si začel
predstavljati kaj bi se zgodilo,
03:03
if you yankedvpil the wirežica from the wallzid and if you startedzačel
59
167926
2180
če bi potegnil žico iz stene
in ji začel slediti.
Kam bi vodila?
03:06
to followsledite it. Where would it go?
60
170106
1604
03:07
Was the InternetInternet actuallydejansko a placemesto that you could visitobisk?
61
171710
3508
Je internet kraj,
ki ga lahko obiščeš?
Lahko pridem do njega?
Koga bi srečal?
03:11
Could I go there? Who would I meetsrečati?
62
175218
1349
03:12
You know, was there something actuallydejansko out there?
63
176567
3376
Je tam sploh možno kaj najti?
03:15
And the answerodgovor, by all accountsračunov, was no.
64
179943
3037
In v vseh pogledih je bil odgovor ne.
03:18
This was the InternetInternet, this blackčrna boxškatla with a redrdeča lightsvetloba on it,
65
182980
2780
Internet je bil to,
ta črna škatlica z rdečo lučko.
03:21
as representedpredstavlja in the sitcomsitcom "The IT CrowdMnožice."
66
185760
3430
Kot je bila prikazana
v TV seriji "Računalničarji."
03:25
NormallyObičajno it livesživi on the topna vrh of BigVelik BenBen,
67
189190
3559
Ponavadi se nahaja na vrhu Big Bena,
03:28
because that's where you get the bestnajboljši receptionsprejem,
68
192749
3082
ker je tam možno dobiti najboljši signal.
03:31
but they had negotiateds pogajanji that theirnjihovi colleaguekolega could borrowsposoditi it
69
195831
3305
Toda dogovorili so se,
da si jo sodelavka lahko sposodi
03:35
for the afternoonpopoldne to use in an officeurad presentationpredstavitev.
70
199136
3172
za popoldansko predavanje.
Starešine interneta so se bili
od naprave pripravljeni ločiti za kratek čas.
03:38
The eldersstarešine of the InternetInternet were willingpripravljen to partdel with it
71
202308
2374
03:40
for a shortkratek while, and she looksizgleda at it and she sayspravi,
72
204682
2866
Ona škatlico pogleda in reče,
to je internet?
03:43
"This is the InternetInternet? The wholeceloto InternetInternet? Is it heavytežka?"
73
207548
3390
Celoten internet?
Je težek?
03:46
They say, "Of courseseveda not, the InternetInternet doesn't weightehtajte anything."
74
210938
3960
Odgovorijo ji,
seveda ne, internet je brez teže.
03:50
And I was embarrassednerodno. I was looking for this thing
75
214898
2317
Postalo me je sram.
Iskal sem to stvar,
03:53
that only foolsbedaki seemzdi se to look for.
76
217215
2296
ki jo očitno iščejo le bedaki.
03:55
The InternetInternet was that amorphousamorfen blobzbirke dvojiških podatkov, or it was a sillyneumno
77
219511
2835
Internet je bila tista brezoblična packa,
ali pa hecna črna škatla
z utripajočo rdečo lučko.
03:58
blackčrna boxškatla with a blinkingutripa redrdeča lightsvetloba on it.
78
222346
2246
04:00
It wasn'tni bilo a realresnično worldsvet out there.
79
224592
2328
Ni bil del resničnega sveta.
04:02
But, in factdejstvo, it is. There is a realresnično worldsvet of the InternetInternet out there,
80
226920
3312
Toda, v bistvu je.
Resnični svet interneta zagotovo obstaja,
04:06
and that's what I spentpreživel about two yearslet visitingobisk,
81
230232
1766
svet, ki sem ga zadnji dve leti obiskoval,
te kraje interneta.
04:07
these placesmesta of the InternetInternet. I was in largevelik datapodatkov centerscentri
82
231998
3545
Obiskal sem velike podatkovne centre,
04:11
that use as much powermoč as the citiesmesta in whichki they sitsedi,
83
235543
2645
ki porabijo enako količino energije
kot mesta v katerih se nahajajo.
04:14
and I visitedobiskali placesmesta like this, 60 HudsonHudson StreetUlica in NewNove YorkYork,
84
238188
3189
Obiskal sem tudi takšne kraje,
stavbo na Hudson Street 60 v New Yorku,
04:17
whichki is one of the buildingszgradbe in the worldsvet,
85
241377
1708
ki je ena izmed tistih na svetu,
04:18
one of a very shortkratek listseznam of buildingszgradbe, about a dozenducat buildingszgradbe,
86
243085
2898
na zelo kratkem seznamu stavb,
približno dvanajst jih je,
04:21
where more networksomrežij of the InternetInternet connectpovezati to eachvsak other
87
245983
2644
kjer je med seboj povezanih več omrežij interneta
kot kjerkoli drugje.
04:24
than anywherekjerkoli elsedrugače.
88
248627
1358
04:25
And that connectionpovezavo is an unequivocallynedvoumno physicalfizično processproces.
89
249985
2617
Ta povezava je zatrdno fizična.
04:28
It's about the routerusmerjevalnik of one networkomrežje, a FacebookFacebook or
90
252602
2485
Gre za usmerjevalnik enega omrežja,
naj bo to Facebook ali Google,
04:30
a GoogleGoogle or a B.T. or a ComcastComcast or a Time WarnerWarner, whateverkarkoli it is,
91
255087
2942
B.T., Comcast
ali Time Warner, karkoli,
ki je ponavadi povezan
z rumenim kablom iz optičnih vlaken
04:33
connectingpovezovanje with usuallyobičajno a yellowrumeno fibervlakno opticOptika cablekabel up into
92
258029
2431
04:36
the ceilingstrop and down into the routerusmerjevalnik of anotherdrugo networkomrežje,
93
260460
2694
skozi strop v nek drug usmerjevalnik
nekega drugega omrežja.
04:39
and that's unequivocallynedvoumno physicalfizično, and it's surprisinglypresenetljivo intimateintimno.
94
263154
4377
To je nedvomno fizična povezava
in je presenetljivo podrobna.
04:43
A buildingstavbe like 60 HudsonHudson, and a dozenducat or so othersdrugi,
95
267531
3293
Stavba na Hudsonovi cesti
in približno 12 ostalih stavb
04:46
has 10 timeskrat more networksomrežij connectingpovezovanje withinznotraj it
96
270824
2326
je povezana z desetkrat več omrežji
04:49
than the nextNaslednji tierliste of buildingszgradbe.
97
273150
1848
kot stavbe druge stopnje.
04:50
There's a very shortkratek listseznam of these placesmesta.
98
274998
2068
Seznam takšnih krajev je zelo kratek.
04:52
And 60 HudsonHudson in particularzlasti is interestingzanimivo because it's home
99
277066
2908
Stavba na Hudsonovi cesti
je še posebej zanimiva,
saj se tam nahaja
približno šest zelo pomembnih omrežij.
04:55
to about a halfpol a dozenducat very importantpomembno networksomrežij,
100
279974
2589
04:58
whichki are the networksomrežij whichki serveslužijo the underseaPodmorski cableskabli
101
282563
2298
To so omrežja,
ki služijo podmorskim kablom,
05:00
that travelpotovanje underneathspodaj the oceanocean
102
284861
2348
napeljanimi pod oceanom.
05:03
that connectpovezati EuropeEvropi and AmericaAmerika and connectpovezati all of us.
103
287209
2253
Ti kabli povezujejo
Evropo z Ameriko in povezujejo nas.
05:05
And it's those cableskabli in particularzlasti that I want to focusosredotočiti on.
104
289462
3587
To so kabli,
na katere se želim predvsem osredotočiti.
Če je internet globalen fenomen,
05:08
If the InternetInternet is a globalglobalno phenomenonfenomen, if we livev živo
105
293049
3860
če živimo v globalni vasi,
05:12
in a globalglobalno villagevas, it's because there are cableskabli underneathspodaj
106
296925
2440
je to zaradi kablov pod oceanom.
Takšnih kablov.
05:15
the oceanocean, cableskabli like this.
107
299365
2105
05:17
And in this dimensiondimenzije, they are incrediblyneverjetno smallmajhna.
108
301470
2886
V tej dimenziji so neverjetno majhni.
05:20
You can you holddržite them in your handroka. They're like a gardenvrt hosecev.
109
304356
2942
Lahko jih držimo v roki.
So kot vrtna cev.
05:23
But in the other dimensiondimenzije they are incrediblyneverjetno expansivezgovorni,
110
307298
4063
Toda v drugi dimenziji pa so neverjetno razsežni,
05:27
as expansivezgovorni as you can imaginezamislite.
111
311361
1640
tako razsežni kot si lahko predstavljate.
Raztezajo se preko oceana.
05:28
They stretchstretch acrossčez the oceanocean. They're threetri or fivepet
112
313001
2555
Dolgi so pet,
osem ali deset tisoč kilometrov.
05:31
or eightosem thousandtisoč milesmilje in lengthdolžina, and
113
315556
2611
In čeprav sta znanost o materialih
in računska tehnologija neverjetno zapleteni,
05:34
if the materialmaterial scienceznanost and the computationalračunalništvo technologytehnologijo
114
318167
2609
05:36
is incrediblyneverjetno complicatedzapleteno, the basicosnovno physicalfizično processproces
115
320776
3533
je osnovni fizični proces presenetljivo preprost.
05:40
is shockinglypretresljivo simplepreprosto. LightSvetlobe goesgre in on one endkonec of the oceanocean
116
324309
3780
Svetloba vstopi na enem koncu oceana
05:43
and comesprihaja out on the other, and it usuallyobičajno comesprihaja
117
328089
3285
in pride ven na drugem.
Ponavadi pride iz stavbe,
ki se imenuje sprejemno-oddajna postaja
05:47
from a buildingstavbe calledpozval a landingpristanek stationpostaja that's oftenpogosto
118
331374
2633
in se pogosto skriva
v manjši obmorski naselbini.
05:49
tuckedtucked away inconspicuouslyneopazno in a little seasideob morju neighborhoodsoseska,
119
334007
2947
05:52
and there are amplifiersojačevalniki that sitsedi on the oceanocean floornadstropje
120
336954
2734
Na dnu oceana pa so ojačevalci,
05:55
that look kindvrste of like bluefinmodroplavutega * tunatuna, and everyvsak 50 milesmilje
121
339688
2520
ki so podobni modroplavutemu tunu
in vsakih 80 kilometrov ojačajo signal.
05:58
they amplifyrazširitev the signalsignal, and sinceod the rateoceniti of transmissionprenos
122
342208
3657
Ker je hitrost prenosa
podatkov neverjetno hitra,
06:01
is incrediblyneverjetno fasthitro, the basicosnovno unitenota is a 10-gigabit-per-second-gigabit-na-drugi
123
345865
3206
je osnovna enota prenosa valovne
dolžine svetlobe 10 gigabitov na sekundo,
06:04
wavelengthValovna dolžina of lightsvetloba, maybe a thousandtisoč timeskrat your ownlastno
124
349071
2498
kar je morda tisočkrat več
kot vaša domača povezava,
06:07
connectionpovezavo, or capablesposoben of carryingprenašanje 10,000 videovideo streamstokove,
125
351569
3184
in je zmožna prenosa
10.000 video posnetkov.
06:10
but not only that, but you'llboš put not just one wavelengthValovna dolžina of lightsvetloba
126
354753
3278
Toda to ni vse,
saj ne bo potovala
samo ena valovna dolžina
skozi eno izmed vlaken,
06:13
throughskozi one of the fibersvlakna, but you'llboš put maybe
127
358031
2957
ampak bo skozi potovalo
50, 60 ali 70 različnih valovnih dolžin
06:16
50 or 60 or 70 differentdrugačen wavelengthsvalovne dolžine or colorsbarve of lightsvetloba
128
360988
3019
ali svetlobnih barv
skozi eno samo vlakno.
06:19
throughskozi a singlesamski fibervlakno, and then you'llboš have maybe
129
364007
2868
V enem kablu bo na primer osem vlaken,
po štiri bodo usmerjene v vsako smer.
06:22
eightosem fibersvlakna in a cablekabel, fourštiri going in eachvsak directionsmer.
130
366875
2602
06:25
And they're tinymajhen. They're the thicknessdebelina of a hairlasje.
131
369477
3490
In ta vlakna so zelo tanka,
imajo debelino lasu.
In potem se povežejo nekje s kontinentom.
06:28
And then they connectpovezati to the continentcelina somewherenekje.
132
372967
1829
Povežejo se v takšen jašek.
06:30
They connectpovezati in a manholejašek like this. LiterallyDobesedno,
133
374796
2338
Dobesedno. To je dejanska lokacija,
kjer je priključen 8.000 kilometrski kabel.
06:33
this is where the 5,000-mile-mile cablekabel plugssvečke in.
134
377134
3089
06:36
This is in HalifaxHalifax, a cablekabel that stretchesrazteza from HalifaxHalifax to IrelandIrska.
135
380223
4490
To je posnetek iz Halifaxa,
kabla, ki povezuje Halifax ter Irsko.
Arhitektura se ves čas spreminja.
06:40
And the landscapepokrajina is changingzamenjati. ThreeTri yearslet agonazaj,
136
384713
2981
Pred tremi leti,
ko sem se prvič osredotočil na to tematiko,
06:43
when I startedzačel thinkingrazmišljanje about this, there was one cablekabel
137
387694
1896
je bil na zahodni obali Afrike en kabel,
06:45
down the WesternWestern coastObala of AfricaAfrika, representedpredstavlja
138
389590
3167
kot je prikazan na
zemljevidu Steva Songa s črno črto.
06:48
in this mapzemljevid by SteveSteve SongPesem as that thintanek blackčrna lineline.
139
392757
2874
06:51
Now there are sixšest cableskabli and more comingprihajajo, threetri down eachvsak coastObala.
140
395631
4845
Zdaj je tam šest kablov
in jih bo še več,
po trije ob vsaki obali.
Ko se neka država priključi z enim kablom,
06:56
Because onceenkrat a countrydržava getsdobi pluggedpriključen in by one cablekabel,
141
400476
2631
se zave, da to ni dovolj.
06:59
they realizeuresničiti that it's not enoughdovolj. If they're going to buildzgraditi
142
403107
1800
Če želi okrog tega razviti industrijo,
se mora zavedati,
07:00
an industryindustrijo around it, they need to know that theirnjihovi connectionpovezavo
143
404907
2816
da njihova povezava ni šibka,
ampak je dolgotrajna.
07:03
isn't tenuousneizrazito but permanentstalno, because if a cablekabel breaksodmori,
144
407723
2710
Če se pretrga kabel,
je potrebno na vodo poslati ladjo,
07:06
you have to sendpošlji a shipladja out into the watervoda, throwmetati
145
410433
2067
07:08
a grapplinglovilni hookkavelj over the sidestran, pickpick it up, find the other endkonec,
146
412500
2915
čez krov vreči kavelj,
kabel dvigniti, poiskati drugi konec,
07:11
and then fusevarovalka the two endskonča back togetherskupaj and then dumpsmetišče it over.
147
415415
3043
oba konca je potrebno zopet spojiti
in kabel spustiti nazaj na morsko dno.
07:14
It's an intenselyintenzivno, intenselyintenzivno physicalfizično processproces.
148
418458
4540
To je zelo, zelo fizično naporen postopek.
07:18
So this is my friendprijatelj SimonSimon CooperCooper, who untildo very recentlypred kratkim
149
422998
4298
Torej, to je moj prijatelj,
Simon Cooper,
ki je do nedavnega delal za Tata Communications,
07:23
workeddelal for TataTata CommunicationsKomunikacije, the communicationskomunikacije wingkrilo
150
427296
2672
ki je komunikacijski oddelek podjetja Tata,
velikega Indijskega industrijskega konglomerata.
07:25
of TataTata, the bigvelik IndianIndijski industrialindustrijski conglomeratekonglomerata.
151
429968
2998
07:28
And I've never metsrečal him. We'veSmo only communicatedsporočena
152
432966
2982
Nisva se še nikoli srečala.
Pogovarjala sva se le skozi
teleprisotnostni sistem.
07:31
viapreko this telepresencetelepresence systemsistem, whichki always makesnaredi me
153
435948
3457
Zaradi tega nanj vedno
pomislim kot moža znotraj interneta.
07:35
think of him as the man insideznotraj the InternetInternet. (LaughterSmeh)
154
439405
3896
(Smeh)
07:39
And he is Englishangleščina. The underseaPodmorski cablekabel industryindustrijo
155
443301
3197
Je Anglež.
Znotraj industrije podmorskih
kablov prevladujejo Angleži.
07:42
is dominatedprevladujejo by EnglishmenAngleži, and they all seemzdi se to be 42.
156
446498
3645
In vsi so stari okrog 42 let.
(Smeh)
07:46
(LaughterSmeh) Because they all startedzačel at the sameenako time
157
450143
3175
Ker so vsi z delom začeli ob istem času,
07:49
with the boomboom about 20 yearslet agonazaj.
158
453318
2500
ko je trg doživel razcvet pred 20 leti.
07:51
And TataTata had gottengotten its startZačni as a communicationskomunikacije businessposlovanje
159
455818
3260
Podjetje Tata je zagnalo
komunikacijsko poslovanje,
z nakupom dveh kablov.
07:54
when they boughtkupil two cableskabli, one acrossčez the AtlanticAtlantika
160
459078
2465
Eden se je raztezal čez Atlantski
in drugi čez Tihi ocean.
07:57
and one acrossčez the PacificTihi ocean, and proceedednadaljevala to adddodaj pieceskosov
161
461543
3160
Nadaljevali so z dodajanjem delov,
08:00
ontona them, untildo they had builtzgrajeno a beltpas around the worldsvet,
162
464703
3544
dokler niso zgradili pasu okrog sveta.
Kar pomeni, da vaše bitne
podatke pošiljajo na vzhod ali na zahod.
08:04
whichki meanssredstva they will sendpošlji your bitsbitov to the EastVzhod or the WestWest.
163
468247
2097
08:06
They have -- this is literallydobesedno a beamžarek of lightsvetloba around the worldsvet,
164
470344
2223
Dobesedno imajo
ta svetlobni žarek, ki obkroža ves svet.
08:08
and if a cablekabel breaksodmori in the PacificTihi ocean, it'llto bo sendpošlji it around
165
472567
2211
Če se okvari kabel v Tihem oceanu,
bo poslal žarek v drugo smer.
08:10
the other directionsmer. And then havingimeti doneKončano that,
166
474778
3185
Ko so s tem zaključili,
je podjetje začelo iskati nove kraje
08:13
they startedzačel to look for placesmesta to wirežica nextNaslednji.
167
477963
3944
do katerih se lahko poveže.
08:17
They lookedpogledal for the unwireddanašnji placesmesta, and that's meantpomeni
168
481907
2490
Iskali so kraje brez povezave.
Zato so se osredotočili na sever in jug.
08:20
NorthSeverni and SouthJužna, primarilypredvsem these cableskabli to AfricaAfrika.
169
484397
2794
V glavnem so to bili
ti kabli do Afrike.
08:23
But what amazespresenečeni me is Simon'sSimon je incredibleneverjetno geographicgeografsko imaginationdomišljijo.
170
487191
3771
Najbolj pa me je presenetila
Simonova geografska domišljija.
On vidi svet kot
nekakšno neverjetno razsežnost.
08:26
He thinksmisli about the worldsvet with this incredibleneverjetno expansivenessekspanzivnosti.
171
490962
2959
Predvsem mi je bilo to zanimivo,
08:29
And I was particularlyzlasti interestedzainteresirani because I wanted to see
172
493921
3313
ker sem želel osebno
videti izgradnjo takšnega kabla.
08:33
one of these cableskabli beingbiti builtzgrajeno. See, you know, all the time
173
497234
2852
Skozi naš čas na spletu,
izkusimo te bežne trenutke povezanosti.
08:35
onlinena spletu we experienceizkušnje these fleetingbežen momentstrenutke of connectionpovezavo,
174
500086
2320
08:38
these sortRazvrsti of briefkratko adjacenciesokoliščine, a tweetCvrkutati or a FacebookFacebook postpost
175
502406
3294
To kratkočasno zbližanost.
Sporočila na Twitterju, Facebooku
ali elektronski pošti.
08:41
or an emailE-naslov, and it seemedzdelo se mi je like there was a physicalfizično corollaryposledica to that.
176
505700
3840
In pričakoval sem neko fizično povezanost.
Pričakoval sem takšen trenutek
ob priključitvi kontinenta
08:45
It seemedzdelo se mi je like there was a momenttrenutek when the continentcelina
177
509540
2076
08:47
was beingbiti pluggedpriključen in, and I wanted to see that.
178
511616
2347
in sem ga želel izkusiti.
08:49
And SimonSimon was workingdelo on a newnovo cablekabel,
179
513963
2285
In Simon je delal na novem kablu,
WACS, Zahodnoafriški Kabelski Sistem,
08:52
WACSWACS, the WestWest AfricaAfrika CableKabel SystemSistem, that stretchedraztegnjena
180
516248
2511
ki se je raztezal od Lizbone
do zahodne obale Afrike,
08:54
from LisbonLizbonske down the westzahodno coastObala of AfricaAfrika,
181
518759
2121
08:56
to CoteCote d'Ivoireobala, to GhanaGana, to NigeriaNigerija, to CameroonKamerun.
182
520880
2869
do Slonokoščene obale, Gane, Nigerije, Kameruna.
Povedal mi je
da bo gradnja kmalu,
08:59
And he said there was comingprihajajo soonkmalu, dependingodvisno
183
523749
2333
09:01
on the weathervreme, but he'dOn bi let me know when,
184
526082
2194
odvisno od vremena,
in mi bo sporočil kdaj.
Tako mi je približno
štiri dni vnaprej povedal,
09:04
and so with about fourštiri daysdnevi noticeopaziti, he said to go
185
528276
3201
da naj grem na obalo
na jugu Lizbone.
09:07
to this beachplaža southjužno of LisbonLizbonske, and a little after 9,
186
531477
2831
In se bo malo po deveti uri
iz morja sprehodil ta mož.
09:10
this guy will walkhodi out of the watervoda. (LaughterSmeh)
187
534308
3696
(Smeh)
In bo imel v roki zeleno vrv iz najlona,
09:13
And he'llon bo be carryingprenašanje a greenzelena nylonnajlon lineline, a lightweightlahek lineline,
188
538004
4320
lahko vrv, ki se imenuje kurirska vrv.
09:18
calledpozval a messengersel lineline, and that was the first linkpovezavo
189
542324
2713
In to je bil prvi člen
med morjem in kopnim
09:20
betweenmed seamorje and landzemljišče, this linkpovezavo that would then be
190
545037
2553
Ta člen, ki se bo kasneje razvil
v to 11.000 kilometrsko pot svetlobe.
09:23
leveragedvzvod into this 9,000-mile-mile pathpot of lightsvetloba.
191
547590
3863
09:27
Then a bulldozerBuldožer beganzačel to pullpotegnite the cablekabel in from this
192
551453
2590
Potem je buldožer začel vleči kabel
s te posebne desantne ladje za kable,
09:29
specializedspecializirano cablekabel landingpristanek shipladja, and it was floatedv zraku
193
554043
3357
ki so ga potem zvlekli na te boje,
dokler ni bil pravilno nameščen.
09:33
on these buoysboje untildo it was in the right placemesto.
194
557400
2748
Vidite lahko tudi angleške
inženirje kako delo opazujejo.
09:36
Then you can see the Englishangleščina engineersinženirji looking on.
195
560148
2742
Ko je bil kabel nameščen,
09:38
And then, onceenkrat it was in the right placemesto, he got back
196
562890
2813
se je moški vrnil v vodo z velikim nožem
09:41
in the watervoda holdinggospodarstvo a bigvelik knifenož, and he cutcut eachvsak buoybojo off,
197
565703
3359
in je boje odrezal,
ki so se dvignile na površje.
09:44
and the buoybojo poppedpopped up into the airzrak, and the cablekabel
198
569062
2299
Kabel pa se je spustil na morsko dno.
09:47
droppedpadla to the seamorje floornadstropje, and he did that all the way out
199
571361
1905
S tem je nadaljeval,
dokler ni prispel do ladje.
09:49
to the shipladja, and when he got there,
200
573266
1873
In ko je prispel do nje,
so ga postregli s kozarcem soka in piškotom.
09:51
they gavedala him a glasssteklo of juicesok and a cookiepiškotek,
201
575139
2413
09:53
and then he jumpedskočil back in, and he swamplaval back to shoreobale,
202
577552
2419
Potem je skočil nazaj v vodo
in odplaval do obale,
09:55
and then he litlit a cigarettecigareta. (LaughterSmeh)
203
579971
7160
kjer si je prižgal cigareto.
(Smeh)
10:03
And then onceenkrat that cablekabel was on shoreobale,
204
587131
2712
Ko je kabel prispel na obalo,
10:05
they beganzačel to preparePripravimo to connectpovezati it to the other sidestran,
205
589843
3504
so ga začeli pripravljati
za priključitev z drugim koncem,
s kablom, ki so ga napeljali
s sprejemno-oddajne postaje.
10:09
for the cablekabel that had been broughtprinesel down from the landingpristanek stationpostaja.
206
593347
2957
10:12
And first they got it with a hacksawžaga za kovino, and then they startZačni
207
596304
2858
Začeli so ga obdelovati z žago,
nato so nastrgali plastično notranjost z ...
10:15
sortRazvrsti of shavingbritje away at this plasticplastika interiornotranjost with a --
208
599162
2936
nekakšno spretnostjo kuharjev.
10:17
sortRazvrsti of workingdelo like chefskuharji, and then finallykončno they're workingdelo
209
602098
2062
In potem so se končno
dela lotili kot zlatarji,
10:20
like jewelersjewelers to get these hair-thintanke lase fibersvlakna to lineline up
210
604160
2708
da so lahko ta tanka vlakna,
10:22
with the cablekabel that had come down,
211
606868
1677
poravnali s kablom,
ki so ga napeljali s postaje,
10:24
and with this hole-punchluknjač machinestroj they fusevarovalka it togetherskupaj.
212
608545
2991
in so ga spojili z luknjačem.
Ko opazuješ,
kako se ti možje kabla lotijo z žago,
10:27
And when you see these guys going at this cablekabel with a hacksawžaga za kovino,
213
611536
3331
10:30
you stop thinkingrazmišljanje about the InternetInternet as a cloudoblak.
214
614867
2643
interneta ne vidiš več,
kot oblak.
10:33
It startsse začne to seemzdi se like an incrediblyneverjetno physicalfizično thing.
215
617510
3937
Začne ti delovati kot nekaj izredno fizičnega.
10:37
And what surprisedpresenečen me as well was that as much as this
216
621447
2508
Presenetilo me je še nekaj.
Čeprav vse to temelji
na zelo visoko razviti tehnologiji,
10:39
is basedtemelji on the mostnajbolj sophisticatedprefinjeno technologytehnologijo, as much
217
623955
2847
čeprav je to nekaj povsem novega,
10:42
as this is an incrediblyneverjetno newnovo thing, the physicalfizično processproces
218
626802
2905
je fizični proces že dolgo v obstoju.
10:45
itselfsama has been around for a long time, and the culturekulturo is the sameenako.
219
629707
3767
Tudi kultura je enaka.
Vidiš domačine pri delu.
10:49
You see the locallokalno laborersdelavce. You see the Englishangleščina engineerinženir
220
633474
1989
Vidiš angleške inženirje,
ki dajejo napotke v ozadju.
10:51
givingdajanje directionsnavodila in the backgroundozadje. And more importantlypomembno,
221
635463
3175
Najbolj pomembno pa je,
da so kraji ostali enaki.
10:54
the placesmesta are the sameenako. These cableskabli still connectpovezati
222
638638
2643
Ti kabli se še vedno povezujejo
do ustaljenih obmorskih mest.
10:57
these classicklasika portpristanišče citiesmesta, placesmesta like LisbonLizbonske, MombasaMombasa,
223
641281
3050
Kot so Lizbona, Mombasa,
Mumbaj, Singapur, New York.
11:00
MumbaiMumbai, SingaporeSingapur, NewNove YorkYork.
224
644331
3159
11:03
And then the processproces on shoreobale takes around threetri or fourštiri daysdnevi,
225
647490
4086
Za postopek na obali je
potrebnih tri do štiri dni.
11:07
and then, when it's doneKončano, they put the manholejašek coverkritje
226
651576
4191
In ko je delo končano,
luknjo pokrijejo s pokrovom
11:11
back on topna vrh, and they pushpush the sandpesek over that,
227
655767
2971
in ga prekrijejo s peskom
in nanj vsi pozabimo.
11:14
and we all forgetpozabi about it.
228
658738
3082
In zdi se mi,
da veliko govorimo o oblaku,
11:17
And it seemsZdi se to me that we talk a lot about the cloudoblak,
229
661820
2251
toda vsakič,
ko na oblak nekaj odložimo,
11:19
but everyvsak time we put something on the cloudoblak,
230
664071
1910
11:21
we give up some responsibilityodgovornost for it.
231
665981
2202
se obenem tudi deloma
odpovemo odgovornosti do te stvari.
11:24
We are lessmanj connectedpovezan to it. We let other people worryskrbi about it.
232
668183
3864
Nismo več z njo tako povezani.
Pustimo, da se z njo ukvarja nekdo drug.
In to se mi ne zdi prav.
11:27
And that doesn't seemzdi se right.
233
672047
1283
11:29
There's a great NealNeal StephensonStephenson lineline where he sayspravi
234
673330
2342
Obstaja odlična izjava Neala Stephensona,
ki je dejal, da morajo ljudje,
ki so povezani prek žic, o žicah tudi nekaj vedeti.
11:31
that wiredžično people should know something about wiresžice.
235
675672
4397
11:35
And we should know, I think, we should know
236
680069
2270
In morali bi vedeti, mislim,
da moramo vedeti,
11:38
where our InternetInternet comesprihaja from, and we should know
237
682339
2753
od kod prihaja naša internetna povezava.
In moramo se zavedati,
kaj nas vse fizično, fizično povezuje.
11:40
what it is that physicallyfizično, physicallyfizično connectspovezuje us all.
238
685092
4822
11:45
Thank you. (ApplauseAplavz)
239
689914
2339
Hvala.
(Aplavz)
11:48
(ApplauseAplavz)
240
692253
2397
11:50
Thankshvala. (ApplauseAplavz)
241
694650
3610
Translated by Miha Helbl
Reviewed by Maja Budisin Lukin

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Andrew Blum - Network author
For his new book, "Tubes," Andrew Blum visited the places where the internet exists in physical form: the cables and switches and servers that virtually connect us.

Why you should listen

In his book Tubes: A Journey to the Center of the Internet, Andrew Blum wanted to capture the "spirit of place" of the Internet. Because as far-reaching and virtual as our connection to the Net is, the signals travel on good old-fashioned cabling, glass fibers jacketed in polymer, running through conduit under streets. The immaterial Internet runs on a very material, industry-like infrastructure. So that when Alaska senator Ted Stevens called the Internet "a series of tubes" ... well, he was kind of right, and he did inspire the title of this utterly fascinating book, which explores the switches, data centers, sea crossings and many, many tubes that make up our online reality.

Blum is a writer for Newsweek, and has written for Wired, Popular Science, Metropolis and more.

Learn more about Tubes:

Read excerpts on submarine cables and Internet exchange points (like 60 Hudson in NYC).

Browse book club materials (from the Amherst Reads book club)

Listen to Andrew Blum's audio interview on Fresh Air

 

More profile about the speaker
Andrew Blum | Speaker | TED.com

THE ORIGINAL VIDEO ON TED.COM