1+1=10 »

Wrong answer? Not if you are counting in a binary world! Finally at the age of 110100 time to catch up with the very basics of computer logic. The Shetland Scrapstore second hand book department turned up an other wonderful find, ”the DIGITAL Computer Lab Workbook”, published in 11110110000 (1968). It was meant to accompany a classroom laboratory kit for teaching computer fundamentals, digital logic, binary arithmetic and Boolean algebra. The hardware was easily replaced by a virtual toolkit, LogicCircuit, and I was on my way.
Having done my Computing teacher’s masters only in 11111001111 (1999) I still have a lot of catching up to do. Core logical circuitry always escaped my attention. This little book was a proper introduction and very enlightening on the subject. Very entertaining also on the level that Computers as we know them today did not exit at the time.
Here is the introduction in the book on “The Computer“:

Introduction. The modern digital computer is very similar to the standard desk calculator with one very basic difference: the computer performs long chains of operations without human intervention. The computer can also make certain logical ”yes” and ”no” decisions and change its future actions as a result. The chain of instructions which tells the computer how to solve a particular problem is called a “”program.” Preparing the list of operating instructions for the computer is called ”programming” and the people who do this, ”programmers’.’

The good thing is that I can now close the book again (binary arithmetic and Boolean logic are not for the faint hearted) and just rely on the fact that the computer I’m using now with its more than 101110100100001110110111010000000000, (>>50 million) individual components (Intel CPU) will do its job. I know claim to have some basic understanding of its intricate inner workings ;-{)

1+1=10

Carl Zeiss 8x30

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