[ELI5] How computers work using only 1s and 0s?
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They technically use only the 1s. In mathematics it is possible to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division using only addition. Sounds strange at first.
For addition:
Think of a wall of lightbulbs, you light 5 bulbs up, you then output a 5. You then use another wall of 4 bulbs to output a 4.
You can then set up some wires between the two lighbulb walls to add the result 5+4=9
and then store the result in lightbulb wall number 3. Lightbulb wall number 3 has 9 bulbs lit.
Minus, multiplication and division is just some maths trickery of multiple lightbulb walls being added together.
In a CPU we use a more complex version of lightbulbs called transistors to hold a 1 value(on like a lightbulb), we create special combinations for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
We can do all types of maths by combining many types of transistors together. We can even build combinations for certain types of equations, that’s why certain chips are optimised for say bitcoin mining or encryption.
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