Robert Taylor dead at 85: Farewell to the technological pioneer

Robert Taylor, a relatively unknown computer scientist, has died at the age of 85

Where would we be without the internet? If the thought of that gives you the shivers, you owe a debt of gratitude to Robert Taylor. He was one of the key people behind what we now use in our everyday lives. We use the internet to chat with friends in other nations absolutely free, through various mediums like Facebook. We use it to watch videos on YouTube. We use it to apply for jobs in a way that reduces the paper used. Thanks to programs like Skype, we can even use the internet to make phone calls when our actual phones don't work correctly.

Another standard which Taylor made possible is the electronic word processor, simply turning typed words into documents which can be edited and stylized however we like. Microsoft Word has almost become a central format universally used for building resumes, editing our work as aspiring authors, or simply as an offline journal. Of course, OpenOffice.org uses the same formatting and costs nothing.

Robert Taylor helped make a lot of what we use every day possible.

Taylor was responsible for creating the very first widely used PC operating system

Yes, the gamers who often look down on console owners have Taylor to thank for their hobby (or job, depending on their talent or luck). He even helped create the mouse, which is often the most popular tool for computer users aiming for quick accuracy, as well as most PC gamers' "guns." The little device has evolved over the years, from something tethered to your PC with a roller ball and mouse pad to a laser-based remote with about as many buttons as your average video game controller from the 80s.

You probably didn't even realize how much of this computer scientist's potential went into the things you probably took for granted.

Robert's story wasn't a glamorous one, but his impact is felt across the globe

At 16, Robert attended Southern Methodist University, having been quoted as saying he was "not a serious student." He may very well have been a genius, in fact.

Out of frustration, he created a way for incompatible computer systems to communicate with each other, now known as the internet. His Palo Alto operating system was the first to use a graphical interface, eliminating the lines of text now often reserved for hackers. He also created Alta Vista, a search engine which eventually led to the Google phenomenon.

Taylor died in his Woodside, California home (as confirmed by his son on Thursday). Even in death, however, Robert Taylor's legacy will live on.