Let’s do some MARBLE RACING!
[Heat 1]: Greetings race fans!
It’s a balmy winter day here in Tucson, Arizona.
In our first heat, we’re adding 0+0+0: There’s the signal.
And they’re off!
The 0th marble goes through the first switch, but wait, the 0th marble is gaining!
Going through the hairpin turn, it’s a photo finish, and the output is…
Nothing!
Absolutely nothing!
This always happens!
No matter how many times I run this race, the sum is zero!
0 + 0 + 0 equals 0!
[Embarrassed, clears throat] OK, moving on to our second heat…
[Heat 2]: Our second heat sees the addition of a lone rookie.
We’re adding 1+0+0, and the rookie has his choice of gates.
Looks like he’s choosing gate B. And he lurches out of the gate!
All by himself, he veers to the left and is clearly ahead of the rest of the pack.
With the race in the bag, he takes an early victory lap, ending up in the winner’s circle,
the sum bit landing pad, in this UNCONTESTED race, giving us an output of “zero one”,
the binary number one.
So 1 + 0 + 0 is 1.
[Heat 3]: In our third heat, the rookie is joined by a challenger.
We’re adding 1+1+0.
The marbles take position in the A and B gates.
And they’re off!
Marble 1 takes the lead, reaching the first switch and taking the track to the left.
It looks like he’s heading for the winner’s circle landing pad again.
NO, WAIT!
What is that?!
It’s like THE FLASH!
Incredibly, the challenger Marble 2 has snuck around to the right and in a surprise move
has BEATEN Marble 1 to the 2nd switch.
What a turn of events!
And look what he’s doing!
He’s toggling the switch.
Oh my goodness!
Marble 1 has been DENIED the landing pad!
Marble 2 slammed the door IN HIS FACE!
What a disappointment!
Not only that, but Marble 1 is now headed to the VORTEX OF DOOM!
What a shame!
And off goes Marble 2 to win the CARRY BIT pole position for our final heat.
What a race!
So we end up with an output of "one zero", which we are told
is the number 2 in the binary number system.
So 1 + 1 + 0 is 2.
[Heat 4]: It’s our final heat, and the gates are packed, with the winner of yesterday’s
race joining us in the carry bit gate.
We’re adding 1+1+1.
And there they go.
Marble 1 is off to the left, but a little more cautious through those curves.
Sure enough, Marble 2 makes his signature move to the right to outflank his opponent.
But what’s this?
Here comes Marble 3 to the left behind Marble 1.
What move does he have up his sleeve?
Sure enough, marble 2 is first to the 2nd switch and has secured the CARRY BIT
POLE POSITION for tomorrow’s race in the
next higher place value!
And there goes Marble 1 again to the VORTEX OF SHAME, resetting switch 2 to its original
position.
But now Marble 3 comes to clean up, and...LOOK AT THAT!
Marble 3 exploits the double-toggle of switch 2, and finds himself in the winner’s circle,
the sum bit landing pad!
[RACE RECAP] What an upset!
Marble 2 won the carry bit position, but Marble 3 took the trophy in the Sum bit!
That’s a “one one”, which if I remember correctly, is the binary number 3!
So 1 + 1 + 1 is 3!