In computer science there are two hardware design options for representing a signed binary number. “Ones complement” computers change a number from positive to negative (or vice versa) by flipping all the bits. “Twos complement” machines flip the bits and add one. (For the sake of “Brevity” — see what I did there? — I’ll call them 1C and 2C computers.)
1C computers had the advantage of hardware simplicity (no separate hardware to do subtraction; just flip the bits and do addition) with a teeny edge in arithmetic performance which adds up (no pun intended). However, there was a complication. If you flipped all the bits in a register containing all zeros, you got all ones, meaning the computer distinguished between positive and negative zero!
For arithmetic purposes they were identical, but for logical operations they were as opposite as one and zero, yes and no, true and false. This led to many a bone-head error for a beginning programmer who mixed arithmetic and binary operations and didn’t keep the difference straight.
2C computers resolve the issue by the extra step — performed deep in the hardware below the view of a programmer — of adding a one after flipping the bits. It takes a microscopic amount of time longer, but it keeps things simple. Some computers with architectures rooted in the 1950s used 1C (I’m talking about you, Univac 1100s and decades of Sperry 1100 and Unisys 2200 descendants) , but by the 1970s, 2C had become the standard hardware design. (If you feel the urge to see the implications of all this, Wikipedia has a detailed article on Ones’ Complement [note the apostrophe].)
Two snails were pretending to be race cars, but the audience had trouble telling them apart so one of them had a big S painted on his shell. He soon had a commanding lead, and the audience cried, “Wow! Look at that S car go!” – Source long forgotten
eromlig almost 4 years ago
NEGATIVE zero??
rekam Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Less than zero? Wow!
whahoppened almost 4 years ago
Bet he’s careful in winter when the salt trucks are out!
Duster Freebottom Premium Member almost 4 years ago
How did he catch him?
electricshadow Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Now I know where this snail was going. https://www.gocomics.com/half-full/2020/07/07
sergioandrade Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Wanna Drag?
Stevefk almost 4 years ago
That officer looks a little sluggish!
Zykoic almost 4 years ago
Speed limit in conformance with IEEE 754. Nice…
pschearer Premium Member almost 4 years ago
To be really, REALLY technical, . . .
In computer science there are two hardware design options for representing a signed binary number. “Ones complement” computers change a number from positive to negative (or vice versa) by flipping all the bits. “Twos complement” machines flip the bits and add one. (For the sake of “Brevity” — see what I did there? — I’ll call them 1C and 2C computers.)
1C computers had the advantage of hardware simplicity (no separate hardware to do subtraction; just flip the bits and do addition) with a teeny edge in arithmetic performance which adds up (no pun intended). However, there was a complication. If you flipped all the bits in a register containing all zeros, you got all ones, meaning the computer distinguished between positive and negative zero!
For arithmetic purposes they were identical, but for logical operations they were as opposite as one and zero, yes and no, true and false. This led to many a bone-head error for a beginning programmer who mixed arithmetic and binary operations and didn’t keep the difference straight.
2C computers resolve the issue by the extra step — performed deep in the hardware below the view of a programmer — of adding a one after flipping the bits. It takes a microscopic amount of time longer, but it keeps things simple. Some computers with architectures rooted in the 1950s used 1C (I’m talking about you, Univac 1100s and decades of Sperry 1100 and Unisys 2200 descendants) , but by the 1970s, 2C had become the standard hardware design. (If you feel the urge to see the implications of all this, Wikipedia has a detailed article on Ones’ Complement [note the apostrophe].)
jpayne4040 almost 4 years ago
So does he have to go in reverse for Negative Zero?
SusanSunshine Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Speed limits mean nothing to his type.
Chithing Premium Member almost 4 years ago
He could probably have gotten away with it if he had been walking backwards.
Doug Taylor Premium Member almost 4 years ago
That danged rabbit gets me in trouble every time!
bookworm0812 almost 4 years ago
There’s no such thing as negative zero or positive zero. Zero is just zero.
P51Strega almost 4 years ago
Since speed limit signs don’t have decimals, I read it as negative 0.49mph
Zebrastripes almost 4 years ago
No hurry occifer, just trying to find my nest…hiccup
jr1234 almost 4 years ago
Franklin, the turtle , would put snail on his shell to help him get places faster and snail would say, "WHEEEEEE!
Another Take almost 4 years ago
Poor turtle is really going to have to shell out big for that ticket. Also, I thought all snails worked for the USPS.
angelolady Premium Member almost 4 years ago
Very cute! The hat and light and little snail hands—LOL
gcarlson almost 4 years ago
Two snails were pretending to be race cars, but the audience had trouble telling them apart so one of them had a big S painted on his shell. He soon had a commanding lead, and the audience cried, “Wow! Look at that S car go!” – Source long forgotten
Laurie Stoker Premium Member almost 4 years ago
What did the snail riding on the back of a turtle say? WHEEEEEEEEEE!
dlsickels1959 almost 4 years ago
The blinking red!!