If you're like me and consider GIFs a form of communication, give a round of applause to Lisa Gelobter, the computer scientist who developed the animation used to create GIFs as well as other pioneering video technology like Shockwave, Brightcove, Joost, and even Hulu. The Brown University graduate is now the chief digital service officer for the U.S. Department of Education, so we owe her a lot, guys.