[It's lucky then that she's talking to a guy who's spent much of his life in front of a computer then :)]
Well, it is that, but that's...umm...a really oversimplified explanation. Computers, at their most basic, are able to make calculations much more quickly than person can, because they only deal in 1's and 0's, on and off. Building on that, we're able to build computers for specific tasks, automate them to do what we tell them to, without having to always be there to tell them. Program are able to be written, basically scripts telling a computer what it should calculate and why, and otherwise provide instructions that tell a computer what to do, based on certain conditions.
[He thinks of the most simple example he can give.]
For example, my wheelchair has the sensor built into it's underside. A laser, to be precise. That measures the distance between the bottom of my chair, and whatever surface it's passing over. This measurement is then sent to the computer, which has a program that says "If the distance is less than x, then do this." I have a whole bunch of these instructions written, and they are programmed to tell different parts of the wheelchair to do different things, based on the data gathered by the sensors.
[Suddenly, Huey gets an idea.]
So, you do this magic stuff, right? Would tell me how it works? I've been...uhh...trying to figure it out since I got here, but magic's not my area of expertise. Computers and mechanical engineering are mine.
no subject
Well, it is that, but that's...umm...a really oversimplified explanation. Computers, at their most basic, are able to make calculations much more quickly than person can, because they only deal in 1's and 0's, on and off. Building on that, we're able to build computers for specific tasks, automate them to do what we tell them to, without having to always be there to tell them. Program are able to be written, basically scripts telling a computer what it should calculate and why, and otherwise provide instructions that tell a computer what to do, based on certain conditions.
[He thinks of the most simple example he can give.]
For example, my wheelchair has the sensor built into it's underside. A laser, to be precise. That measures the distance between the bottom of my chair, and whatever surface it's passing over. This measurement is then sent to the computer, which has a program that says "If the distance is less than x, then do this." I have a whole bunch of these instructions written, and they are programmed to tell different parts of the wheelchair to do different things, based on the data gathered by the sensors.
[Suddenly, Huey gets an idea.]
So, you do this magic stuff, right? Would tell me how it works? I've been...uhh...trying to figure it out since I got here, but magic's not my area of expertise. Computers and mechanical engineering are mine.