Binary Code (How Computers Count)

Hello. I am a secret language that lives inside all your favorite gadgets. I am very simple, really. I only have two words: ON and OFF. You can think of my words as YES and NO, or even better, 1 and 0. With just those two little numbers, I can share every story, sing every song, and show you every picture in the world. My name is Binary Code, and I am how computers talk.

My idea is super old. Way back in places like ancient India, more than two thousand years ago, smart people were already thinking about me. But a very clever man named Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz got really excited about me in the 1600s. He showed everyone how you could write any number at all using just my 1s and 0s. It is like a light switch. When the switch is on, that is a 1. When it is off, that is a 0. Computers have billions of teeny-tiny switches that they can flick on and off super fast to talk and think using my code. They go blink, blink, blink, so fast you can't even see it.

Today, I am busier than ever. I zip and zoom through computers, tablets, and phones. I help you play your favorite games, watch funny cartoons, and see the faces of family who live far away. Every time you tap a screen, I am there, turning your touch into a colorful picture or a fun sound. Using just my two numbers, 1 and 0, I help you create and learn amazing new things every single day. What will you build with me.