Where Is the Internet? The Material Life of Data [Durham, NC]

from $25.00

**This course is in-person only. There is no virtual component. Participants must be age 21+

Full Tuition: $300 — Sliding-scale tuition options are available in the drop-down enrollment menu for you to self-select. To pay in installments, choose to pay with PayPal or Klarna at check out.

The internet is big and getting bigger. Satellites, cell towers, undersea cables, server farms: the tools we use every day rest on physical infrastructure built over the past thirty years at a scale that's impossible to comprehend. With the rise of AI, data centers have become the shadowy non-place at the center of public discourse. But the entire system is a growing resource drain, and the costs of networked infrastructure are often under-explored.

How does the internet actually work? Who decides how it gets built and governed? Why does each new technology demand exponentially more energy, water, and land? And what would it look like to build differently?

This interdisciplinary course traces the physical web from the cable landing station to the computer screen, drawing on journalism, internet history, critical infrastructure studies, and political theory. We'll examine the people, institutions, and standards that shape the network, which is far from an inevitability. Every new technology is a chance to build another way, but only if we understand how the current system fits together. Students will leave with a working map of the Internet's physical and political architecture, sharper questions about its trajectory, a clearer understanding of its benefits, and a vocabulary for imagining alternatives to the massively networked problems produced by online lives.

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The Fine Print:

Gift certificates may only be redeemed at the full tuition tier.

SLIDING SCALE TUITION

Full tuition is the cost per-student of running the class. If you choose a tier below full tuition, you are receiving a discount. If you choose to make a donation in addition to full tuition, you are helping to cover the cost for students who are not able to pay the full amount.

The mid-level tier is a discounted rate for people whose household income is at or above living wage but who have limited discretionary income.

The low-level tier and the full-scholarship tier are for people whose household income is below living wage or who need extra assistance to meet their needs.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Through our fundraising efforts, we are able to offer three full scholarships per class. The full-scholarship tier is a nonrefundable offering. Each student may only take one full-scholarship class at a time. Because our scholarship funding is limited, if a student selects multiple overlapping classes at the full-scholarship level, they will be disenrolled from all classes.

All sliding-scale and scholarship needs are self-assessed, and we will never request or require proof of need.

Please see our FAQ for more information, including installment plans, refund policy, and sick and inclement weather policy.

Sliding-Scale Tuition:

**This course is in-person only. There is no virtual component. Participants must be age 21+

Full Tuition: $300 — Sliding-scale tuition options are available in the drop-down enrollment menu for you to self-select. To pay in installments, choose to pay with PayPal or Klarna at check out.

The internet is big and getting bigger. Satellites, cell towers, undersea cables, server farms: the tools we use every day rest on physical infrastructure built over the past thirty years at a scale that's impossible to comprehend. With the rise of AI, data centers have become the shadowy non-place at the center of public discourse. But the entire system is a growing resource drain, and the costs of networked infrastructure are often under-explored.

How does the internet actually work? Who decides how it gets built and governed? Why does each new technology demand exponentially more energy, water, and land? And what would it look like to build differently?

This interdisciplinary course traces the physical web from the cable landing station to the computer screen, drawing on journalism, internet history, critical infrastructure studies, and political theory. We'll examine the people, institutions, and standards that shape the network, which is far from an inevitability. Every new technology is a chance to build another way, but only if we understand how the current system fits together. Students will leave with a working map of the Internet's physical and political architecture, sharper questions about its trajectory, a clearer understanding of its benefits, and a vocabulary for imagining alternatives to the massively networked problems produced by online lives.

—

The Fine Print:

Gift certificates may only be redeemed at the full tuition tier.

SLIDING SCALE TUITION

Full tuition is the cost per-student of running the class. If you choose a tier below full tuition, you are receiving a discount. If you choose to make a donation in addition to full tuition, you are helping to cover the cost for students who are not able to pay the full amount.

The mid-level tier is a discounted rate for people whose household income is at or above living wage but who have limited discretionary income.

The low-level tier and the full-scholarship tier are for people whose household income is below living wage or who need extra assistance to meet their needs.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Through our fundraising efforts, we are able to offer three full scholarships per class. The full-scholarship tier is a nonrefundable offering. Each student may only take one full-scholarship class at a time. Because our scholarship funding is limited, if a student selects multiple overlapping classes at the full-scholarship level, they will be disenrolled from all classes.

All sliding-scale and scholarship needs are self-assessed, and we will never request or require proof of need.

Please see our FAQ for more information, including installment plans, refund policy, and sick and inclement weather policy.