How to explain "What is Digital" to a layman

preface

Thanks to Teacher Li Xiuchuan for her series of wonderful questions, which triggered my deep thinking:

It’s not easy to explain, you might say, right? Isn’t the definition of digital everywhere? Such a simple question let his own baidu go!!

Don’t be! Miss Li is a layman who has nothing to do with digitization. We can not hold the “professional” arrogance, away from people.

So, how do I explain it perfectly to a layman what “digital” is?

Why “numbers”?

First answer teacher Li’s first question: why use the word “number”? What if you don’t use another word? Like “data”? “Information”?

This is actually easier to solve.

It must be admitted that the whole Information Technology originated in Britain (Turing machine)/America (Eniak).

Starting with the first computer, Enniac, information technology flourished, including hardware, operating systems, and various development languages, all of which were said to be American inventions, and some people find fault with them. But there is no denying that America is ahead of the rest of the world.

Therefore, almost all information words are translated from English into Chinese.

Digital means digital signal.

So the “number” in “digitization” is not the “number” of “12345”, but the “number” of “digital signal” of “0” and “1” in information technology.

Digitalization means Digitalization.

Similarly, digitization does not mean turning video, audio, text and records into “12345” numbers, but into “0” and “1” numbers, which are “digital signals” that computers can understand. \

By turning basic information, relationships and actions from the real world into digital signals, we can use computers to process this information for us and “find” patterns in it that we wouldn’t normally see.

Are traffic lights digital?

Since the purpose of digitalization is to turn the basic information, relations and actions in the real world into “digital signals”, it is convenient to process data later, discover rules and make use of rules.

So traffic lights are not actually digital, at most information.

Informatization refers to the historical process of cultivating and developing the new productive forces represented by intelligent tools and making them benefit the society.

Pay attention to a few key words: intelligence, tools, productivity, that is to say, information is fundamentally with technology, tools and other productivity to do things.

And the traffic signal lamp did not do the “digital” collection of information, processing information, discover rules and other work, but issued a signal, let everyone in accordance with the fixed rules of standardized traffic, that is, in “doing things”.

In the age of no traffic lights, the road can regulate traffic. Except instead of a traffic light, it’s a whistling cop. Whistle + gesture, the same can regulate traffic, to achieve the same purpose of traffic lights.

So traffic lights actually belong to the “tool” level, enhanced is the “manpower”.

Those of you who have taken your driver’s license must be horrified to see this picture. Because of the exam! Would you be able to tell what these actions mean without the following tips? \

Signal light is information, then what is digital?

I have to say that Miss Li is an excellent questioner. Constant pressing, let me continue to ponder, until thoroughly understand this problem. \

Yes, if the traffic light is information, there must be a digital scene ah, its digital scene is what?

Lots of traffic lights? Clearly, no.

What else is at the intersection? Surveillance cameras? Right! The surveillance cameras already have a digital signature.

It is constantly gathering information, processing information, discovering patterns, using patterns.

You see, it is constantly in the video, and then recognize the license plate number, and then according to the set rules (red stop, green go) to determine whether the car is obeying the traffic rules?

But that’s not interesting, because it doesn’t discover the rules, it sets them. Can it be more intelligent?

Yes, to a large extent, is the city brain, to a small extent, is the intelligent traffic command system.

In the past, traffic light scheduling was set separately at each intersection, and each road basically set a relatively fixed time according to the traffic flow at the intersection. But sometimes it’s silly to wait at a traffic light for another minute when there’s no traffic going by.

Later, there was intelligent scheduling of individual junctions. I also studied the traffic light scheduling algorithm. According to the current traffic flow at each intersection, I found the traffic flow rule at each intersection in real time, flexibly adjusted the duration of the traffic light in the four directions before and after, so that the direction with more traffic flow can be released more, and the idle time at the intersection can be reduced as much as possible.

Further down the road, traffic cameras, traffic lights, and “edge computing” capabilities —- you can think of it as a small connected computer for every intersection.

In this way, it is not just the intelligent scheduling of a single intersection, but the intelligent traffic command of a street, a block or even a city.

Here’s a simple example:

If be in go to work peak period, suddenly ambulance is pulling critical patient anxious go to a hospital. Before the need for a commander, standing in front of the traffic emergency command screen, mobilize all traffic police, advance road closure, card, clear. It’s bound to cause traffic jams. How bad is it?

However, it is no longer necessary. The intelligent traffic command system can reasonably schedule the route of the ambulance to form a “green wave belt” on the premise of ensuring the existing traffic flow without road closure, blockage or clearing.

The image above is a man-made green wave belt, you can see the meaning, understand what is called green wave belt.

Ambulances can then run green to the hospital in this instantly generated green wave band. Not only do not delay other people to go to work, but also quickly arrive at the hospital, treatment of patients.

Information and digitization

Sum it up in one sentence.

If information can enhance “manpower”, an information equipment top 10 “manpower”. So digitization is to enhance “brain power”, a set of digital system can hold 100 “brain power”.

It simplifies the work of traffic police whistling on safety islands and frees them up for more complex tasks, such as dealing with accidents. Can also let the hard traffic police uncle rest more.

Digitalization simplifies the work of commanders in the traffic emergency command hall and can free up their hands to handle more complex tasks, such as coordinating public security, fire control and transportation departments to ensure the safety and orderly traffic of the city when the city hosts an international conference.

conclusion

A friend who breaks the casserole and asks to the end is a precious treasure, which I should cherish. A good question that leads to deep thought is golden! Thank you again, Miss Li!

Get to the bottom of any problem you encounter. Don’t be afraid, join us and make progress together!

Come on, digital people, it’s another great day!

Thanks for reading, and that’s the end of this sharing. Also welcome everyone to add my wechat, we chat privately ah

mo4tech.com (Moment For Technology) is a global community with thousands techies from across the global hang out!Passionate technologists, be it gadget freaks, tech enthusiasts, coders, technopreneurs, or CIOs, you would find them all here.

How to explain “What is Digital” to a layman

preface

Why “numbers”?

Are traffic lights digital?

Signal light is information, then what is digital?

Information and digitization

conclusion

How to explain “What is Digital” to a layman

preface

Why “numbers”?

Are traffic lights digital?

Signal light is information, then what is digital?

Information and digitization

conclusion

Related Posts

(8) Container class

Preliminary experience of SQL automatic audit

EXIN DevOps certification training will start soon