Knowledge base
Technology
Plain-English explainers on software, the internet and the systems shaping daily life.
4 articles · updated regularly
What is cloud computing?
Cloud computing is renting computing resources over the internet. Here is what that means for servers, storage, software, cost and control.
Read the explainerIn plain English
Cloud computing is renting computing resources over the internet. Here is what that means for servers, storage, software, cost and control.
What is an API?
A plain-English guide to endpoints, requests, responses, API keys and rate limits — using the restaurant waiter analogy and a real weather example.
How does AI actually work?
A plain-English guide to machine learning, neural networks and large language models — what they do, how they learn, and where they go wrong.
How the internet works, in one sitting
What happens between typing a web address and seeing a page — DNS, packets, TLS and the journey across networks.
Prefer a direct answer?
Browse the free tools or send us a topic suggestion.