[ELI5] How computers work using only 1s and 0s?
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When it comes to doing math, computers use what’s called a different [radix](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radix) or base, which is a different system of notation. We’re used to using the decimal radix (deci being a prefix meaning ten), having 10 digits (0-9) and with 10 meaning ten. Raising that exponentially one power gives you 100 or one hundred. But there are other radixes, like:
* octal, with only the digits 0-7, where 10 means eight and 100 means sixty-four
* hexadecimal with the digits 0-F, where 10 means sixteen and 100 means two hundred and fifty six
* and, used at the low level within computers, binary which has only the digits 0-1 where 10 means two and 100 means four
The thing is, math still works in other radixes, only the notation is different. For computers, binary is especially useful because each digit position can be represented with a simple on-off switch/light as either a 0 or a 1. That representation is the easiest and simplest for an electronic device to work with. But there’s a bit more – binary also allows for using [boolean logic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boolean_algebra) to easily express logical concepts like AND, OR, and NOT at the same simple fundamental level.
So it’s really easy for the computer to work with things as a bunch of tiny switches, and then at the end, when we want output, that series of 1s and 0s can be interpreted as characters that make up decimal digits of a number, letters, a color, or sound, duration to rumble a joystick, or whatever.
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