Chapter 2 Languages: Systems for Handling Information
As everyone knows, it is not always easy to think. By thinking, we mean computing, reasoning, and other handling of information. By information we mean collections of ideas—physically, collections of marks that have meaning. By handling information, we mean proceeding logically from some ideas to other ideas—physically, changing from some marks to other marks in ways that have meaning. For example, one of your hands can express an idea: it can store the number 3 for a short while by turning 3 fingers up and 2 down. In the same way, a machine can express an idea: it can store information by arranging some equipment. The Harvard mechanical brain can store 132 numbers between 0 and 99,999,999,999,999,999,999,999 for days. When you want to change the number stored by your fingers, you move them: perhaps you need a half second to change the number stored by your fingers from 3 to 2, for example. In the same way, a machine can change a stored number by changing the arrangement of some equipment: the electronic brain Eniac can change a stored number in ¹/₅₀₀₀ of a second.