It was the opening days of 2022, in the aftermath of a huge volcanic eruption, when Tonga went dark. The underwater eruption - 1,000 times more powerful than the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima - sent tsunami waves across Tonga's nearby archipelago and blanketed the island's white coral sands in ash.
The strength of the eruption severed internet connectivity with Tonga causing a communication blackout.
When the undersea cable that provides the country's internet was restored weeks later, the scale of the disruption was clear. The lack of connectivity had hampered recovery efforts while devastating businesses and local finances, many of which depend on remittances from abroad. The disaster exposed the extreme vulnerabilities of the infrastructure that underpins the workings of the internet.
Contemporary life is inseparable from an operational internet, said Nicole Starosielski, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley and the author of The Undersea Network.
It is much like drinking water - a utility that underpins our existence, but few people understand what it takes for it to travel from a reservoir to our taps. Consumers have come to imagine the internet as something unseen in the atmosphere - an invisible "cloud" raining data on us. Because our devices aren't tethered to any cables, many of us believe the whole thing is wireless, Starosielski said. The reality is far more extraordinary.
Almost all internet traffic-including Zoom calls, movie streams, emails and social media feeds - reaches us via high-speed fibre optics laid on the ocean floor. These are the veins of the modern world, stretching almost 1.5 million km under the sea.
Speaking via WhatsApp, Starosielski explained that the data transmitting her voice travelled from her mobile phone to a nearby phone mast. "That's basically the only wireless hop in the entire system," she said.
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When it comes to a good savoury crumble it's all down to the detail
\"Savoury crumbles are a really good idea, so I don't get why we don't make them more often,\" says Esther Clark, who writes The Good Home Cook Substack. As Clark notes: \"Crumbles are incredibly forgiving: they go into one tin, there's barely any washing-up, and they freeze well, making them a good weeknight number.\"
Generation game An American's view of life in China during the turbulent Covid years, through the eyes of his curious, jaded students
When Peter Hessler, the celebrated chronicler of Chinese society, arrived at Sichuan University in the autumn of 2019, he was expecting to take a break from writing. Hessler made his name as a journalist documenting the lives of everyday people during China's boom years in the early 2000s.
Claims to fame Will this sympathetic biography of a failed pop star help its enigmatic protagonist find the status his stoicism deserves?
In 2004, the British journalist Chris Heath spent more than a year shadowing Robbie Williams's every movement for his book on the singer, Feel. If this was above and beyond the usual requirements of a biographer, you could see why he thought it might pay off. We tend to be fascinated by success, and the cost that fame can exact upon the individual. And so who better to take such an approach with than both the biggest pop star of his generation and the most self-critical?
Heartfelt home truth An extraordinary portrait of a 1950s American housewife, based on the diaries of Will Self's mother in an act of filial generosity
Will Self has a history of gonzo premises. He has written novels set in the afterlife, in a world ruled by chimpanzees, in a post-apocalyptic society based on the misogynist rantings of a London cabby.
'My dance is a kind of prayer'
After success in France, choreographer Qudus Onikeku has returned to Nigeria to bring new life to Lagos's dance scene and to mastermind a pan-African creative awakening
The lighter side of grief A romcom where love never dies
Marrying your dead fiance may be taboo, but Colin Hanks and director Daniel Reisinger hope their new film will help those coming to terms with their own loss
Look who's back in anger
Will an Oasis reunion be a success? Definitely. Will it be worth it? Maybe, say Guardian arts writers
Voters rejected Macron. Why is he still trying to dictate who governs us?
After the electoral turbulence of June and July, few in France imagined that we would be heading into September without a new prime minister appointed to reflect the results of July's parliamentary elections.
Forget the clothes-eating critters-we should love moths in all their beauty
Let me start with a confession: I love moths. If your instant reaction to that statement is a shudder and expression of dislike (or worse), be assured that you're not alone. It is the commonest response I get. But moths are extremely important and beautiful creatures, and we should all love them.
Is Starmer's 'reset' with Europe enough to undo Brexit damage?
Every prime minister has their verbal tell-tales. \"Reset\" is a favourite Starmerism. When he visited Berlin last week to pave the way to a bilateral co-operation treaty, the prime minister said he was there as part of a \"wider reset\" in Britain's relations with Europe. There was the same message when he journeyed on to Paris for a grip, grin and chat with Emmanuel Macron. I see why he's fond of the word. \"Reset\" conveys new thinking, a fresh start and altered priorities, while being conveniently vague about the direction of travel or the ultimate destination.
