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Illustration of Binary Code and Digital Signals

Binary Code and Digital Signals

Binary code is a system of representing information using only two symbols, 0 and 1.

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The story

The Blinking Secret

Hello. I am a secret language. I live inside your computer and your favorite toys. I do not use words like you do. Instead, I speak in little flickers, like a tiny light blinking on and off, on and off. I am how your favorite cartoons know when to dance and how your games know when to jump up high. I am a pattern of 'yes' and 'no,' a special code of 'on' and 'off.' I am a happy little secret inside your machines.

_SECTION_SEPARATOR_

A long, long, long time ago, a very clever person named Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz thought I was super special. It was around the year 1703. He showed everyone that you could write any number or secret message using just my two little friends. My friends are the number one and the number zero. One means ON, like when you flip a light switch on. Zero means OFF, like when you flip the light switch off. On and off. One and zero. For a long time, I was just an idea in big books. Then, people built amazing machines that could understand my special on-and-off language.

_SECTION_SEPARATOR_

Today, I use my on and off blinks to make magic happen everywhere. When you watch a fun movie, I am there. When you listen to your favorite happy song, I am there too. When you see your family on a screen and wave hello, that is me, working super, super fast. I am Binary Code. My little blinks connect you to a big, wonderful world of fun and learning. I help you share your drawings and your happy smiles with everyone. What amazing things will you imagine with me today?

Wow facts

About

Binary code is a system of representing information using only two symbols, 0 and 1. It is the fundamental language of computers and all digital devices.

Formalized 1703 CE
Logic System Established 1854 CE
Applied to Electronics 1937 CE

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Binary Code and Digital Signals
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