How to explain binary to this person

kitkat9933 · 7 Apr 2015 at 17:24

I need GD's help on how to explain to someone that you can have a number represented by more than 8 bits in binary.

Sharlaw · 7 Apr 2015 at 17:24

What do you mean??

Destination · 7 Apr 2015 at 17:25

Ask him how to write a number bigger than 10 places in decimal.
Why would binary stop after 8 places?
It just historically did so for bytes.

Sliver · 7 Apr 2015 at 17:28

kitkat9933 said:
I need GD's help on how to explain to an idiot that you can have a number represented by more than 8 bits in binary.

10010101

/thread.

kitkat9933 · 7 Apr 2015 at 17:29

He seems to think every number can be represented in 8 bits. I think he's getting confused with ASCII where ever Alphanumeric character can be represented in 8 bits.

Xordium · 7 Apr 2015 at 17:30

Hit on the left side of his face for a 0 and the right side for a 1 then pattern his face with say 1100101010 and ask him how many times you've hit him.

Absomalutely · 7 Apr 2015 at 17:34

kitkat9933 said:
He seems to think every number can be represented in 8 bits. I think he's getting confused with ASCII where ever Alphanumeric character can be represented in 8 bits.

Ask him to write 1 million with only 6 digits

FloppyPoppy · 7 Apr 2015 at 17:37

Albert Einstein said:
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.

areksnumbr1sxylady · 7 Apr 2015 at 17:37

Is binary a place where they sell bins?

Skeeter · 7 Apr 2015 at 17:38

There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand Binary, and those who don't.

Wizardskills · 7 Apr 2015 at 17:38

Just ask him how he would represent the number 500.

Martini1991 · 7 Apr 2015 at 17:39

Just say the highest number represented by 8 bits.

Then ask him why it can't go any bigger?

kitkat9933 · 7 Apr 2015 at 17:44

After telling me I was wrong and that all numbers can be represented in 8 bits, he then went to a colleague and they both started talking crap about how I was wrong and I don't know anything apparently.

O well guess I don't...

Xordium · 7 Apr 2015 at 17:52

Then the saying about not arguing with idiots is probably appropriate.

Sliver · 7 Apr 2015 at 17:54

Skeeter said:
There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand Binary, and those who don't.

Your quote implies 2 types of people, this would be 01, not 10.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/defi...hose+who+understand+binary+and+those+who+dont

Judgeneo · 7 Apr 2015 at 17:56

Ask him whats the point of 16 bit, and post the response on here.

kitkat9933 · 7 Apr 2015 at 17:58

Judgeneo said:
Ask him whats the point of 16 bit, and post the response on here.

I tried explaining about 32 bit before he left work but he was still adamant he was right, which is when he started talking about how wrong I was to a colleague.

Sliver · 7 Apr 2015 at 17:59

What is 'poop letterbox' in hexadecimal ? :confused:

Judgeneo · 7 Apr 2015 at 18:01

kitkat9933 said:
I tried explaining about 32 bit before he left work but he was still adamant he was right, which is when he started talking about how wrong I was to a colleague.

Don't explain, just be curious and innocent, they will figure it out eventually.

Reaper 392 · 7 Apr 2015 at 18:08

if you want to be really really pedantic, then technically every number can be represented by an 8 bit number, just not all at the same time. For example, you could say that 00000000 in memory represents 473, and it goes up to 11111111 representing 728 (or some other number if my maths is failing me). However, I doubt this is what any of you are thinking of.

It would probably be best to ask him how many different combinations of 1 and 0 you can make with 8 bits. if he has half a brain he will eventually realise it is 256. You can then explain to him that you can therefore only represent 256 different numbers with 8 bits.

Once he has discovered that you can only represent 256 whole numbers with those 8 bits, ask him how he would represent decimal numbers to hammer the point home.