*** [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_von_Neumann Jon von Neumann], who first defined the architecture of modern computers. We are still building computers according to his original unpublished ''draft''
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*** von Neumann's [http://cs.smith.edu/dftwiki/images/f/f8/VonNewmannEdvac.pdf ''draft'']
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*** [http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120217145747.htm new research in DNA computing]: we are trying hard to find new ways to perform computation and leave the von Neumann architecture.
code: Translating from one system of values to another system.
Electricity
The Binary System: a system where the only two numbers available are 0 and 1. Every operation that we can do in decimal, with 10 digits, we can also do in binary.
The Transistor: A switch controlled by electricity.
Two giants for computer science:
George Boole (1779-1848): logic expression = boolean expression. Logic: creating formulas where variables are combined by operators. The variables are boolean variables, the operators are logic operators. Any formula can be represented with a combination of just three operators: AND, OR, and NOT.
Reading
Primary:
Video (Part 2) on George Boole and Boolean Algebra. (5.18 min)
Claude Shannon (1916-2001): writes a Master's thesis at MIT in 1948, which states that any binary numerical computation can be performed using logic expressions and logic operators. "The whole digital revolution started with [Shannon]"[1]
You will find Wikipedia's description of the processor interesting. Concentrate mostly on the sections labeled Microprocessor, Operation, and Clock Rate.
