"Once a block has been added by one of the nodes, the node sends the block to the peers it’s connected to, which verify it and append it to their copy of the “blockchain” before broadcasting it further to other nodes they are connected to. "
I think I now understand how the block and node stuff actually work
I don't claim to be an expert in the nitty-gritty technical details of the protocol. Overall, my message is that Bitcoin is primarily a political innovation (more so than a technological one)