The binary system, a number system that only contains the number 0 and 1, is the basic language code of computers, and they are mostly associated with them. But its invention come from much earlier than computers and its owed to a 17th century philosopher who spent his nights dreaming of universal languages and cosmic order.
That philosopher was Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. Best known for co-inventing calculus, Leibniz was also fascinated by logic, philosophy, and how symbols could capture the structure of thought itself. Around 1679, he began experimenting with the idea of reducing all numbers to sequences of just two characters. To him, 0 and 1 were not merely practical symbols; they embodied deep metaphysical truths. He may even have drawn inspiration from the yin–yang duality in the I Ching, which we know he had contact with at the time.
Leibniz wasn’t content to keep his idea abstract. He suggested that binary could be harnessed for mechanical calculation, long before electricity or silicon chips. He imagined wheels and cogs turning, translating the simple on/off logic into real computation. Though his mechanical dreams were never built in his lifetime, his vision foreshadowed the very architecture of modern computers.
Today, the binary system underpins everything: music streaming, AI, encrypted banking, even the words you’re reading right now. What was once a philosopher’s curiosity has become the operating language of our civilization. Leibniz himself might have smiled at the irony, as his quest for universal truth ended up creating the universal code.
Craving more? Check out the source behind this Brain Snack!
