Why Does Classical Computing Use Bits?
In short: A short look at how computers came to run on ones and zeros, from Babbage's decimal wheels to Boole's logic and Shannon's open-or-closed circuits, and at how the reliable record traces binary's arrival more clearly than its reasons.
A 1:30 short film in the series “From Fingers to Qubits”, narrated by intellect_voice_01.
Sources used in this film: Science Museum (Science Museum Group), “Charles Babbage’s Difference Engines and the Science Museum | Science Museum”; Encyclopaedia Britannica, “A Symbolic Analysis of Relay and Switching Circuits | thesis by Shannon | Britannica”; Department of Computer Science, Iowa State University, “History”; Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC) | Britannica”; Springer (IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology; chapter by N.P. Brusentsov and J. Ramil Alvarez, Moscow State University), “Ternary Computers: The Setun and the Setun 70”; Computer History Museum, “How Do Digital Computers “Think”? - CHM Revolution”; Springer Nature (Springer, Cham), chapter by Herbert Bruderer in 'Milestones in Analog and Digital Computing' (2020), “Global Overview of Early Digital Computers (Tables)”; Academia.edu (user-uploaded copy of a paper by Claude E. Shannon published through the AIEE, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers), “A Symbolic Analysis of Relay and Switching Circuits By CLAUDE E. SHANNON AIEE vol”; MIT News (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), “Professor Emeritus Claude Shannon, founder of digital communications, dies at 84”; Springer Nature (book chapter by Raúl Rojas in 'Konrad Zuse's Early Computers', History of Computing series, 2023), “The Reconstruction of Konrad Zuse’s Z3”.
Sources used in this film
- Science Museum (Science Museum Group) — Charles Babbage’s Difference Engines and the Science Museum | Science Museum · View →
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — A Symbolic Analysis of Relay and Switching Circuits | thesis by Shannon | Britannica · View →
- Department of Computer Science, Iowa State University — History · View →
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC) | Britannica · View →
- Springer (IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology; chapter by N.P. Brusentsov and J. Ramil Alvarez, Moscow State University) — Ternary Computers: The Setun and the Setun 70 · View →
- Computer History Museum — How Do Digital Computers “Think”? - CHM Revolution · View →
- Springer Nature (Springer, Cham), chapter by Herbert Bruderer in 'Milestones in Analog and Digital Computing' (2020) — Global Overview of Early Digital Computers (Tables) · View →
- Academia.edu (user-uploaded copy of a paper by Claude E. Shannon published through the AIEE, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers) — A Symbolic Analysis of Relay and Switching Circuits By CLAUDE E. SHANNON AIEE vol · View →
- MIT News (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) — Professor Emeritus Claude Shannon, founder of digital communications, dies at 84 · View →
- Springer Nature (book chapter by Raúl Rojas in 'Konrad Zuse's Early Computers', History of Computing series, 2023) — The Reconstruction of Konrad Zuse’s Z3 · View →
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Charles Babbage’s Difference Engines and the Science Museum | Science Museum
- Also: Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Symbolic Analysis of Relay and Switching Circuits | thesis by Shannon | Britannica
- Also: Department of Computer Science, Iowa State University: History
- Also: www.britannica.com — Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC) | Britannica
- Also: Springer (IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology; chapter by N.P. Brusentsov and J. Ramil Alvarez, Mo: Ternary Computers: The Setun and the Setun 70
- Also: Computer History Museum: How Do Digital Computers “Think”? - CHM Revolution
- Also: Springer Nature (Springer, Cham), chapter by Herbert Bruderer in 'Milestones in Analog and Digital Computing' (2020): Global Overview of Early Digital Computers (Tables)
- Also: Academia.edu (user upload of a 1938 AIEE paper by Claude E. Shannon): A Symbolic Analysis of Relay and Switching Circuits By CLAUDE E. SHANNON AIEE vol
- Also: MIT News (Massachusetts Institute of Technology): Professor Emeritus Claude Shannon, founder of digital communications, dies at 84
- Also: Springer Nature (book chapter by Raúl Rojas in 'Konrad Zuse's Early Computers', History of Computing series, 2023): The Reconstruction of Konrad Zuse’s Z3
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