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The hidden network that makes the internet possible - Sajan Saini

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TEDEd Animation

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In 2012, a team of researchers set a world record, transmitting 1 petabit of data— that’s 10,000 hours of high-def video— over a fifty-kilometer cable, in a second. This wasn’t just any cable. It was a souped-up version of fiber optics, the hidden network that links our planet and makes the internet possible. What is fiber optics, how does it work, and how is it evolving? Sajan Saini explores the vital technology.

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Snell’s Law is a model for light as a ray that predicts total internal reflection. When a silicon wire guides light by total internal reflection, the wire scatters relatively more light than an optical fiber, yet can make a sharper bend and not have as much power leak out. Can Snell’s Law fully explain this trade-off, or does it seem a more precise model is needed to describe the flow of light?

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Sajan Saini
  • Director Igor Coric
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Animator Nemanja Petrovic
  • Producer Milica Lapcevic
  • Sound Designer Nemanja Petrovic
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler
  • Fact-Checker Brian Gutierrez

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