THE INTERNET MAY HAVE MET ITS DOOM.

If you need an excuse for spending all afternoon watching mental_floss on YouTube, here’s one: The Internet could soon be a thing of the past. If we don’t figure out a way to provide data faster, it could collapse by 2023, says Andrew Ellis of Aston University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. People forget that the Internet is made largely of fiber-optic cables strung across the ocean floor. Those cables can keep up with only so much data, and research suggests we could hit a point where no more information can be crammed into a single fiber. Put simply, the Internet could get full. The repercussions: spotty service or providers installing more cables, sending Internet prices skyrocketing. And if you think the industry or the government is prepared, you’re wrong. According to engineer and industry pioneer Danny Hillis, “There is no plan B.”