March
21
/ 2014
The binary numeral system – where each position is written as a 0 or 1 – forms the foundation of all modern computing systems. In essence, binary code produces a representation of reality; it is behind the digital images we view on LCD screens, the music we listen to on CDs, and the movies we watch. It is sometimes difficult to conceive that we can reconstruct scenes from around the world and carry out highly advanced computing functions using only two numbers. One of the most famous mathematicians of the 17 th century, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, is credited with inventing this important numeral system. Although the people of the remote island of Mangareva were using a type of binary system
