Have you ever wondered how simply touching a screen on your smartphone instantly opens the phone app, or how tapping your fingers on the keys of a keyboard displays a letter on the computer screen? It feels like magic that it knows what you are trying to do and seamlessly executes the command. However, reality is far more fascinating than magic. It’s the power of two numbers. Behind all these processes and complex devices lie just two numbers: 0 and 1.
0 and 1 are collectively known as the binary number system. It is the language of the digital world and all electronics. Similar to how we use decimal numbers (0 to 9) as our basic number system, computers use the binary system to store data, perform tasks, and run operations. For simplicity, 0 and 1 can be considered as True and False values; 0 represents False while 1 represents True. Another analogy for these numbers is sending an electrical pulse (on state) and not sending one (off state); 0 being the off state whereas 1 is the on state.
To manipulate these two numbers, different electrical components are used, such as transistors, switches, and logic gates. Collections of thousands of components are used to make processors and circuit boards, which are later engineered into sophisticated systems. Most electrical components are designed to operate on 0’s and 1’s, specifically in the on/off state.
The concept of binary is not new. It was first formalized in the 17th century by mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, who saw the potential of using two symbols to represent all numbers. Centuries later, with the invention of transistors, this abstract idea became the backbone of modern computing.
This binary foundation explains how even the simplest digital tasks take place. When you send a message, the computer first converts your text into its language, i.e., binary numbers, and then processes it to send to another user, converting the binary back into human language. Similarly, a smartphone responds to your touch on the screen through changes in electrical signals and their positions, and performs those calculations using only 0’s and 1’s, which triggers the application to open.
An inevitable question emerges: how are these two numbers doing all the tasks so fast, within the blink of an eye? Devices have become so fast and intricate that binary operations are performed at incredible speed. For instance, the fastest computer, El Capitan, has been benchmarked at about 1.742 exaFLOPS (1.742 × 10¹⁸ floating-point operations per second) using the standard High-Performance Linpack (HPL) test. To put this in perspective, El Capitan can perform in a single second what 125 billion people would collectively do if each performed one floating-point operation per second. This astonishing scale demonstrates the efficiency of binary at its peak.
Binary’s role is not limited to speed; it also underpins how data is stored and secured. A QR code or barcode, with its patterns of black and white spaces, is an image storing 0’s and 1’s. Scanning the QR code or barcode means receiving that stored binary data into our devices, which is subsequently decoded into human-readable form to give us the required information. Similarly, biometric features such as fingerprint and facial recognition rely on binary principles. The biometric data provided by the user is stored in cryptographic form, which can only be decrypted by the device’s key. When the data matches the scanned biometric data, you gain access to the device’s interface. In short, it is the work of binary numbers and data. Likewise, streaming music or videos is also transmitted and played in the form of binary. The musical and video data are stored in the form of binary.
From calculators that rely on binary calculations to users calling each other, to ChatGPT responding to your inputs, all of it relies on just those two foundational digits. With the growth of digital devices and the number of users accessing the digital world, along with increasingly intensive tasks and the demand for faster operations, one may ask: can just 0 and 1 handle everything? An article published by Federica Laricchia suggests that in 2021, the number of mobile devices operating worldwide stood at almost 15bn. And yes, everything is possible by 0 and 1. This underscores the potency of binary numbers.
Binary is powerful because its two-state system is ideal for electronic implementation, allowing for reliable and simple hardware that can store and process data, perform calculations, and represent any type of information. The simplicity of binary enables the creation of complex logic gates, which form the foundation of all modern digital systems, from basic on/off switches to powerful computers. It is the most efficient way to store and process data using electronic components. The precise, discrete nature of binary digits (bits) also makes it easier to identify and correct errors during data processing and transmission. Additionally, changing binary digits (base-2) to another base would require all electronic components to be redesigned. Thus, binary numbers are likely to remain as the future language of computers.
Even as we move into the advanced age of artificial intelligence and quantum computing, binary remains indispensable. Qubits (Quantum Bits) may introduce new dimensions of power, but they will undoubtedly coexist with binary rather than replace it.
Binary may appear deceptively simple, but its influence is universal. From the smallest sensor to the most advanced supercomputer, our digital universe runs on two digits. Our identities, from banking records to biometric profiles, are increasingly translated into streams of 0s and 1s. This dependence makes societies more efficient and interconnected, but also more vulnerable. Cyberattacks, data theft, and digital surveillance exploit the very binary systems that empower us. In this sense, binary is not merely a technical language; it has become a social and political force shaping trust, security, and even democracy in the digital era. The next time you unlock your phone or send a message, remember: the foundation of our modern world is built not on complexity, but on the elegant simplicity of 0 and 1.
Saksham Adhikari
St Xavier’s College
