Digital Number Systems: Binary, Hexadecimal, and BCD
Understanding Number Systems
Number systems are fundamental to computing and digital electronics. They are essentially methods for representing numbers using a specific set of symbols (digits). The key concept differentiating them is the base or radix, which is the total number of unique digits available in that system.
Common Number Systems Breakdown
1. Decimal (Base-10)
This is the number system we use every day.
- Base (Radix): 10
- Digits Used: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
- Concept: Each digit’s position
Cinematic Contrast: Loneliness and the Male Gaze in Her and Lambs
Representing Isolation: Her vs. The Silence of the Lambs
Spike Jonze’s Her (2013) and Jonathan Demme’s The Silence of the Lambs (1991) both examine characters who experience deep loneliness, but they show this isolation using very different visual strategies. Her uses warm colors, soft lighting, and close-up shots to reveal Theodore’s emotional isolation and his sometimes idealized or unrealistic view of the women around him. In contrast, The Silence of the Lambs relies on point-of-view shots,
Read MoreMastering the Iterative Design Process in Engineering
The Iterative Design Process
The iterative design process is one of the most traditional processes for the design of any engineering component or system. It is used widely throughout many industries. The process is not very efficient! With the advent of more streamlined digital workflows, we aim to cut out excess iterations from our process. The majority of your projects will likely follow this process.
Stages of the Iterative Design Process
Initial Ideation → Planning → Implementation →Read More
Requirements
Modern Architectural Theory and Its Evolution
Adolf Loos: Ornament and Modernity
Adolf Loos’s argument that “ornament is a crime” is one of the most radical rejections of traditional aesthetics in architectural history. In his 1908 essay Ornament and Crime, Loos positions ornament not only as culturally outdated but morally and economically harmful. He associates decorative design with primitivism, degeneracy, and even criminality—claiming that modern man has evolved beyond the need for surface embellishment. This stance is both bold
Read MoreBuffer Overflow and Arbitrary Code Execution: Causes & Defenses
Arbitrary Code Execution (ACE)
Arbitrary Code Execution (ACE): A vulnerability where an attacker supplies input to a program such that the CPU interprets that input as executable instructions and runs it. The CPU cannot distinguish between legitimate program code and malicious injected code. Once ACE happens, the attacker controls instruction flow; security boundaries are effectively gone and the system executes whatever the attacker wants.
Buffer Overflow (BO)
BO (Buffer Overflow): All buffer overflows
Read MoreNegotiable Instruments Act and Information Technology Act, 2000 Explained
Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881
The Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 is the foundational law in India that defines and amends the law relating to promissory notes, bills of exchange, and cheques.
Scope and Features of Negotiable Instruments
Scope
The Act deals primarily with three specific types of instruments (Section 13):
- Promissory Note (Sec. 4)
- Bill of Exchange (Sec. 5)
- Cheque (Sec. 6)
The Act also covers concepts such as maturity, negotiation, endorsement, crossing, presentment, notice of dishonour,
Read MoreMechanisms of Synaptic Transmission and Plasticity
The Process of Synaptic Transmission
The action potential signal arrives at the axon terminal (the bouton). The local depolarization causes Ca channels to open. (Is this channel voltage, chemically, or mechanically gated? Voltage). Ca enters the presynaptic cell because its concentration is greater outside the cell than inside. The Ca, by binding with calmodulin, causes vesicles filled with neurotransmitter to migrate towards the presynaptic membrane.
Neurotransmitter Release and Exocytosis
The vesicle
Read MoreSocial Media Impact on Adolescent Mental Health
Social Media and Mental Health Outcomes
The relationship between social media and mental health is complex, characterized by mixed outcomes. Use is linked to both positive factors, such as connection and identity, and negative factors, including depression and anxiety.
- Small effect sizes: The overall impact depends on specific behaviors, content, and individual traits.
- U-shaped curve: A relationship where both extremely high and extremely low use correlate with worse mental health, while moderate use
Monopoly, Monopolistic Competition and Market Price Dynamics
Monopoly — Market Structure & Price Determination
Definition
Monopoly: A market structure where a single firm controls the entire market for a product or service.
Features
- Single seller: One firm supplies the entire market.
- Unique product: No close substitutes for the product.
- Barriers to entry: High barriers prevent other firms from entering the market.
- Price maker: The firm has significant control over the price.
Equilibrium of the Firm
Definition: A monopoly firm maximizes profit by producing at
Read MoreGeneral Chemistry 1 Principles and Formulas
Fundamentals and Measurements
- SI Units: Mass (kg), Length (m), Time (s), Temperature (K), Amount (mol), Volume (m³ or L = 10-3m³).
- Prefixes: Pico (10-12), nano (10-9), micro (10-6), milli (10-3), centi (10-2), kilo (103), mega (106).
- Density: d = mass / volume. To convert g/cm³ to kg/m³, multiply by 1,000 (e.g., 6.353 g/cm³ = 6,353 kg/m³).
- Temperature Conversions: °F = (9/5)°C + 32; K = °C + 273.15 (e.g., 56.1°C = 133°F).
- Significant Figures:
- Non-zero digits are always significant. Zeros between