Base systems - Computers for Smart People - page 117

You can translate back and forth between the different number bases on the scientific PC
calculator by entering 23 in base 10 and then switch to binary, octal or hexadecimal. This
will work for larger numbers as well.
You may wonder what advantage there is to using base 16 or base 2. Obviously
binary involves only two symbols, 0 and 1 which can be translated into off or on in a
computer. This represents whether a current in a circuit is flowing or not. The
disadvantage to base 2 is that numbers would require more digits to capture the number
23, or just about any other number, for that matter. Note that we could have a larger
number in hexadecimal stored with fewer digits than in base 10. So there a re advantages
and disadvantages of each base system. It may not be obvious but you can readily
translate a number from binary to hexadecimal without much trouble. I should say the
computer can do that, not us humans.
Though we are more familiar with count ing in base 10, we should have a little
knowledge about how other base systems work. Fortunately there are scientific
calculators that can come to our rescue. With this small treatise, there should be more
understanding when we do use the calculator and ot her base systems. In addition, it now
might make a bit more sense as to what all that garbage is that shows up when we get a
dump from a computer program. We may not understand it, but we will know that all
those numbers represent working storage in hexadecimal or base 16.
Computers can do a lot for us, but can they rule the world? I wouldn't bet the
ranch, even if I owned one. As I mentioned in the discussion on heuristic learning,
programs are all designed by people, using strategies created by individuals. I know, some
human beings rule the world - a few not very well. Others want to rule. I once designed a
computer program to create another program that would produce reports. The former
required input on the part of the person who wanted the report. Since reports are so
different from one another, I wondered if all the extra effort was really worth it.
Many people talk about this computer replacing human beings, but I'm not
convinced. When a computer can experience emotions such as joy, love, fear and sorrow
- and even hate - I'll be concerned about the robots. A more recent example to back up
my feeling can be observed now when you call a corporation, wanting to talk to a person.
Instead, you talk to a smart computer. Maybe that word in italics is similar to the meaning
in our youth when a parent responded to us, “Don't get smart!” I don't think we have any
worries for the present, especially when the computer asks us a question requiring only a
yes or no reply. When we reply no , the computer retorts, “I don't understand you.” Do
you think we should have responded with nyet ? Obviously, the system needs some work.