We love it when tasks run smoothly. We enjoy multitasking, long breaks, and moving with the flooooow... Some days though, things get busy in the Binary World. Tasks start piling up, queues get longer, and it takes us Megas of nanoseconds to visit any component! Our book Welcome to our World - about to hit a bottleneck In this episode, you'll learn: What bottlenecks are Where bottlenecks happen Some ideas to deal with them Let's begin with some computer basics for kids! What is a Bottleneck? Computers tend to slow down from time to time. This happens when we ask them to take on more tasks than they can handle. That's when bottlenecks happen. You can think of them as the neck of a bottle slowing down the overall water...
During the last weeks, you learned about the CPU and the RAM, and how they work together to make every task on your computer run smoothly. The CPU is very smart and it can do calculations extremely fast; while the RAM helps it remember and store all the data it needs temporarily. They are both independent units. So, how are they connected and share information with each other? The motherboard helps them with that! Artwork from Zerus gets a Virus In this episode, you'll learn: What the motherboard is The components that are attached to it A brief history of it Let's begin with some computer basics for kids! What is the Motherboard? The motherboard is the main circuit board on your computer. It's...
Imagine that you come to school one day and you have no memory. How would that look like? Probably you'd feel very confused, you wouldn't know who you are or what you need to do! In the last episode, you learned how smart the CPU is, especially when your computer needs to make some math. But, as smart as it can be, the CPU has no memory! And that's where the RAM or Random-access memory steps in. It holds the data and instructions the CPU needs to do its job and, without it, the CPU would be completely lost. Artwork from our new book Welcome to our World, 0s and 1s at the RAM In this episode, you'll learn: What the RAM is...
Schools around the globe are being asked to include technology literacy in their curriculum. This means your kids will be learning how to access technology, manage it, and communicate with it. They'll also be building their own creations with it! These are exciting times and it will create amazing opportunities for them. On the other side though, the world of computers and digital technologies can feel daunting and overwhelming, both for teachers and students. But we can't just leave everything up to schools. Computers are increasingly becoming a bigger part of our daily lives. We, as parents, need to step in too and start talking with our kids about technology. Computer science education should start at home. "We, as parents,...
Two weeks ago, you learned that a computer bus is a set of wires that moves all the data and information in your computer between its different parts. For example, from the memory to the CPU. Now, it's time to break that down and dive deeper into each of the components that make up your computer. In this chapter, you'll learn: What the CPU is Why the CPU overheats A brief history about it Let's begin with some computer basics for kids! What is the CPU? The CPU or Central Processing Unit is like the "brain" inside your computer, and it's in charge of controlling each of its other parts. Let's take a human example. Every time you want to move...
