10 01: Binary Day

It's Binary Day because today's date can be written as 01 10 or 10 01, depending on which side of the pond you are on, both are the same backwards.

1. A binary number is a number expressed in the base two number system, which uses just two digits, usually 0 and 1.
2. Each digit in a binary number is called a "bit". The word bit is made up from the words "binary digit". 11010 is five bits long. The word binary comes from "Bi-" meaning two.
3. To show a number is a binary number the convention is to add a small 2 after the number, for example, 11010_2. When saying them, each bit is pronounced. The binary number "100" is said "one zero zero" not "a hundred".
4. If the last digit of a binary number is 1, the number is odd; if it’s 0, the number is even.
5. Binary numbers are used in computer programming - hence you'll often hear the word "bit" in connection with computers. The first computer to use the system was built in 1937 by George Stibitz. He called it "Model K", because he built it in his kitchen.
6. The modern binary number system was devised by Gottfried Leibniz in 1679.
7. The concept has been around a lot longer than that, though. Leibniz was specifically inspired by the Chinese I Ching, which uses two symbols arranged into hexagrams, which Leibniz interpreted as binary calculus.
   The ancient Egyptians used a system rather like binary for working out fractional quantities of grain or liquids. These were called Horus-Eye fractions. Drums which could sound two different tones were used to send messages in Asia and Africa.
8. Leibniz saw binary systems as an affirmation of his religious beliefs about the creation of the universe. First there was nothing; then God created something.
9. A binary system can be expressed by anything which can have two states, such as on or off, long or short, raised or not. Hence Morse Code and Braille are binary systems.
10. Enough maths for one day. How about some jokes? There are only 10 types of people in the world. Those that understand binary and those that don’t. Or you may be forgiven for thinking, There are 10 kinds of people in the world: those who understand binary, and 9 others. No, really, binary is easy. It’s as easy as 01 10 11.

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