• Binary
• Abstraction
• So What?

Binary

Binary is the language that computers speak in, using a base 2 number system. It can be used to recognize numbers, characters, and colors. The way a base 2 number system works is something is either 1 or 0, and the placement determines the power of 2 used, starting with 0. 1 is binary for 1. 10 is binary for 2, 10110 is 22 etc. Most computers use an 8 bit binary, so it goes from 2^0 (1) to 2^7 (128).

Abstraction

Abstraction is the filtering of items that are irrelevant to a task. When the source code on a webpage is viewed (usually by pressing Ctrl+U on a Windows or Option+Cmnd+U on a Mac), much of the code is abstracted to show only what the webpage needs to show.

So What?

Binary and Abstraction work together to make computers work. ASCII, for example, abstracts 8 bits of binary to make characters, usually on a keyboard. The two are indispensible together.