computers/
CPUs, memory, operating systems and what happens when code runs.
6 results
computers/fetch-decode-execute-the-three-beat-loop-every-cpu-repeats-billions-of.md
Fetch, decode, execute: the three-beat loop every CPU repeats billions of times a second
A processor looks clever, but at its core it repeats one small loop billions of times a second: fetch an instruction, decode what it asks…
computers/the-call-stack-why-a-function-that-never-stops-crashes-your-program.md
The call stack: why a function that never stops crashes your program
Every time a function is called, the computer puts a small block of memory called a frame on top of a call stack, and removes it when the…
computers/floating-point-why-0-1-0-2-is-not-exactly-0-3.md
Floating point: why 0.1 + 0.2 is not exactly 0.3
Type `0.1 + 0.2` into JavaScript or Python and you get `0.30000000000000004`. It is not a bug, and it is not your mistake. Computers store…
computers/race-conditions-why-two-people-adding-1-to-5-can-leave-you-with-6.md
Race conditions: why two people adding 1 to 5 can leave you with 6
Two phones add one item to a shared list of 5, and the list ends up at 6 instead of 7. Nothing is broken, yet an update was lost. This is a…
computers/bits-and-bytes-why-a-byte-can-t-count-past-255.md
Bits and bytes: why a byte can't count past 255
A byte is eight on/off switches, and that tiny size explains a lot of odd bugs. In this article you flip the bits of one byte yourself and…
computers/counting-with-only-0-and-1-how-computers-store-numbers-and-letters.md
Counting with Only 0 and 1: How Computers Store Numbers and Letters
Every photo, message and web page on your computer is stored as numbers written with just two digits: 0 and 1. That's binary, and it works…