How Computers Compute (Science Out Loud S2 Ep5)

Even though we think of computers as super high-tech machines with tiny parts, they can also be huge, wooden, and mechanical. It's what they have in common that makes them computers - switches!
----------
Find us online!
----------
made with love at MIT
Creative Commons: CC BY-NC-SA, MIT
Hosted by: Jamie Teherani
Written by: Jamie Teherani
Additional scripting: Elizabeth Choe, George Zaidan

Executive producer: Elizabeth Choe
Director: George Zaidan
Editor: Per Hoel
Production assistant: Ryan Pelletier

[nazarethsander]

Unlike other professors who try to create or intense your fear of understanding the concepts, your simple explanation, and illustration of how a computer works make one want to draw out more information with a renewed sense of confidence in comprehending a complex subject in simple language.

[anweshpeddineni]

"A computer is just a carefully constructed arrangement of switches" this is my first time knowing this.

[someshvarvashisht]

That's what makes MIT MIT. Love MIT .

[varunalur]

Oh my god, this video taught me a lot . Actually opened my eyes . Thanks MIT

[dontforgetthegame]

Why would anyone downvote this? I might now understand how computers work but will never understand the illogical machines using them.

[markarca]

2:16 - An 8-bit octet (it has a decimal [base 10, but computers understand only binary values - 0 and 1] value of 0-255; 256-1, since we start counting from 0.

[milupictures]

Got to love a mechanical computer! I feel like this would be a fascinating thing to make as a high school project. It seems like binary isn't really taught in K-12 Education, though.

[ChrisMix]

. This is the best explanation I've seen

[charlesmcdowell]

heh i actually have an associates degree in computer networking and been working in IT for about 5 years but this was very educational even for me. I don't know if that's sad or good lol.

[sudhamajayanthi]

Great video, gonna share with all of my friends ;)

[adityabaghel]

So fucking amazing man! You make it so understandable

[Elias_Harrison]

now i can see 5 Minute Crafts making a "no electricity computer DIY" video

[pixelapse]

If I want to mastering Electrical Engineering and Computer science, what major should I take?

[Michelle__zo]

An insider's perspective: exclusive interview with Binance's CEO on future developments

[erchawk]

The Digicomp II is not a universal computer (not Turing Complete). Isn't the Digicomp I a true universal mechanical digital (3 bit) computer?  Could someone expand that and show a mechanical computer able to do useful computations exceeding human abilities (if not in speed, in duration without error)?

[markarca]

0:39 - If A AND B is TRUE, C is TRUE, otherwise it's FALSE.
0:43 - If A OR B (or both of them) is TRUE, C is TRUE, otherwise it's FALSE.

[joebazooks]

i thought *3* in binary would be *100*, whereby *4* would be *1000.* apparently i gotta learn how to count in binary!