Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software

by Petzold Charles

The word noise is used in communication theory to refer to anything that interferes with communication.

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logic, that strange blend of philosophy and mathematics for which a primary goal is to determine whether certain statements are true or false.

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the Law of Contradiction and indicates that something can’t be both itself and the opposite of itself.

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A flip-flop circuit retains information. It “remembers.”

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TANSTAAFL (pronounced tans toffle), which means “There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch.” Usually, whenever you make a machine better in one way, something else tends to suffer as a result.

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Graphics Interchange Format, or GIF (pronounced jif like the peanut butter), developed by CompuServe in 1987.

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A bel (which is three-quarters of Alexander Graham Bell’s last name) is a tenfold increase in intensity; a decibel is one-tenth of a bel. One decibel represents approximately the smallest increase in loudness that a person can perceive.

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