If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in ...

We use computers close computerA device that processes information by following a set of rules called a program., computing devices and computer systems close computer systemA series of connected ...

Your commands, ideas, demands and concepts form the data your system processes and stores. Without user input, a computer simply takes up desktop space and waits for directions, like a lost motorist ...

Every peripheral device (keyboard, modem, monitor, etc.) requires a control circuit that interfaces with the computer's processor (CPU). These circuits are either built into the chips on the ...

On its own, your computer can't make a sound. Digital data from audio and video files needs to be turned into something that our ears can hear, and this requires specialized hardware and sophisticated ...