Is it possible to take down a superpower using only a keyboard, a mouse and an internet connection? With corporate and government bodies across the US taking the threat of electronic terrorism seriously, Duncan Graham-Rowe decided to give it a go.

Imagine an internet connection so fast it will let you download a whole movie in just five seconds, or access TV-quality video servers in real time. That is the promise from a team at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, who have developed a system called Fast TCP.