Computers Nina and the Neurons

# If you've got a question and you don't know where to go

# Ask Nina for some help Cos she's got a science show

# She makes sense of her senses While helping all her fans

# By doing her experiments with potions and with bangs

-# Touch your tongue

-Tongue!

-# Fingers

-Fingers!

-# Eyes.

-Eyes!

-Ears.

-Ears!

-Nose.

-Nose!

# Nina and the Neurons find out what you need to know

# Nina and the Neurons find out what you need to know

# Luke, he helps us with our eyes and Felix with our touch

# Ollie sniffs out smells And Belle, she hears so much

# Bud is Ollie's brother He helps us with our taste

# They're Nina's little Neurons And they're coming to your place!

-# Touch your tongue

-Tongue!

-# Fingers

-Fingers!

-# Eyes.

-Eyes!

-Ears.

-Ears!

-Nose.

-Nose!

# Nina and the Neurons find out what you need to know

# Nina and the Neurons find out what you need to know

# Oh, yeah! #

Just a little bit more. There.

Oh, hello.

I'm just colouring a mouse on my computer. What do you think?

-I think he's lovely.

-BEEPING

I hear a beat, I see a flash, I wonder what they're going to ask.

-Hi, Nina!

-Hi, guys.

We've got a question for you.

-How does a computer work?

-That's a great question.

How does a computer work? Computers use lots of clever engineering.

Why don't you come down to my workshop and we'll investigate?

ALL: See you soon, Nina. Bye.

Well, I'm going to need some help to answer this one

and I know just who to ask.

OK, Neurons, time to get to work.

Neurons at the ready, Nina.

OK, today's question is, how does a computer work?

Which Neuron do you think would be most useful

-in helping us find the answer?

-ALL: Me! Me! Me!

Will it be fabulous Felix?

I can help so very much if you need the sense of touch.

Will it be beautiful Belle?

I send messages to brain from ear. If there's a sound, I'll help you hear.

-Will it be lovely Luke?

-For looking and seeing, day or night,

I'll help you with your sense of sight.

-Will it be awesome Ollie?

-If it's pongy or whiffy but you can't tell,

-my messages help your sense of smell.

-Or will it be baby Bud?

Sour, salty, bitter or sweet, I'm your taste buddy whenever you eat!

It's Felix. And Luke!

NEURONS: Go Felix! Go Luke! Go Felix! Go Luke!

Today's question is, how does a computer work?

Because we touch a computer to use it

and look at the computer screen, Felix and Luke will be helping us.

But stand by, Neurons, I may need help from the rest of you.

Right, I need to get the workshop ready before the engineers arrive.

Brooklyn loves getting her face painted.

Casey likes board games.

Nana likes making friends.

I love playing games on the computer.

I like drawing with my mum's computer.

How does a computer work?

Today, for one day only,

Brooklyn, Casey and Nana become The Engineers.

-Hi, guys.

-Hi, Nina.

-Welcome to my workshop.

Thanks for your great question - how does a computer work?

To find out the answer, let's start by using our senses.

ALL: Whoop-woo! A senses experiment. We're ready, Nina.

First, let's have a look at some computers.

Over there is my desktop computer.

This is a laptop computer.

And here is a tablet.

They look very different, but they all work in the same way.

Let's find out how. Follow me.

You guys are going to pretend to be a computer.

You'll each be different parts. Brooklyn, you are the keyboard.

So you're standing next to the gate that says "in".

Nana, you are like the inside of the computer. So you are in the middle.

You can put this on.

Yes! You are the computer's brain.

And Casey, you are the computer's screen.

So you are standing here next to the gate that says "out".

For this game, we are going to try

and put the word "Nina" onto the computer screen.

First, we need to put the information in to the computer.

Brooklyn, you are the computer keyboard,

so can you put Nina in the computer?

Nana, you are the computer's brain.

The bit inside the computer that works out what to do

with all the information. Casey, you are our computer screen.

The computer brain will tell you what to show...

..And put the Nina on to the screen.

There it is. Nina is on the screen.

Well done, computer parts.

We got the message onto the computer screen.

All computers work like this.

We put information in using a keyboard, a mouse or a touchscreen.

The computer's brain works out what to do with the information

and sends it out onto a screen. Computers' brains are very simple.

They can't decide what to do for themselves like we can.

They need to be told.

Let's take a trip to a very special museum to find out more.

Here we go. I can't wait to see where we will end up today.

Some type of museum?

Maybe it's an art museum to look at fine works of art.

Or a transport museum to see lots of old cars? Vroom!

Look, everyone, we're here.

We're here at the National Museum of Computing.

This is one of the very first computers ever made.

It's called Colossus.

-What do you notice about this computer?

-It's really big.

You can say that again! It fills the whole room!

It's huge, isn't it?

This wouldn't fit onto our desks at home, would it? No!

This computer was made a long time ago.

Engineers have been building computers for years.

But nowadays, computers are much smaller.

A computer that can do all the same thing that Colossus can do

can now fit into a mobile phone.

How did they squash it up so small?

They don't squash it, Bud.

Engineers worked out how to make computer parts smaller.

So computers are smaller.

Computers are used in all kinds of things

like washing machines, clocks and even toys.

I think we need to find out more about how a computer's brain works.

This way.

A computer brain is very simple. It can't work out things like we can.

It has to be told what to do and needs instructions.

Like a shopping list, Nina?

Yes, the instructions are like a shopping list of things to do.

We call it a computer program.

I have hidden a mouse in one of these boxes. I want you to find it.

That will be easy!

They just have to listen for the squeak, squeak, squeak!

Not that type of mouse. A computer mouse like this.

-Do you know where it is?

-No.

Let's see if you can find it if I give you a list of instructions.

We are going to pretend that you guys are the computer brain

and these instructions are a computer program. So let's begin!

Start at the red box.

Is there a rubber duck in the box?

Yes, Nina, there's a rubber duck.

Well done! There is a duck, so go to the white dotty box.

Lovely. Is there a toy boat in the box?

No, Nina, it's a plane.

That's a no, then, because it's not a boat.

So go to the green box.

This time, is there a red ball in the box?

-Yes, Nina, there's a red ball.

-Excellent.

Well, go to the black dotty box.

Now, if there's a mouse in the box, you've done it. So open the box.

Yes, Nina, there's a red mouse.

Hurray!

Fantastic work. We couldn't find the mouse without the instructions

because we didn't know where it was.

But when we had the instructions, we knew where to go.

When we type into a keyboard or press a touchscreen,

computers know what to do. They have a list of instructions

and these instructions are called a computer program.

How does a touchscreen computer know when we've touched it?

Good question. Let's do one final experiment to find out.

Some computers have a touchscreen

and we want to find out more about how it works.

Let's have a go on this really big touchscreen. Let's go for it, guys.

The world's getting bigger.

It gives you information about places.

-They're travelling all over just by using their fingers.

-Marvellous.

A little touch can mean so much, Nina.

This is brilliant, isn't it?

By touching the screen, we can move all the maps.

That's because the touchscreen can tell when our fingers touch it.

Let's play a quick game. Come with me.

OK, I'd like you to try and move this loop from one end

round to the other without touching the wire. Are you ready?

-Yes, Nina.

-OK! Go!

BEEPING

BUZZING

Careful, now. Keep it steady. You don't want it to...

Bzz! I love that sound.

-Finished. That was a noisy game, wasn't it?

-Yes!

The buzzer went off when the loop touched the wire.

This is the same as how many touchscreens work.

Just below the touchscreen, there are two layers of material.

They're very close together but they don't touch each other.

When you press your finger onto the screen,

it pushes the two layers together so they are touching.

This tells the touchscreen computer, or the phone, or the tablet,

where on the screen you've put your finger.

Your question was, how do computers work? I think we've answered it.

We discovered all computers have a way to get information in and out.

There are different ways to put information into computers,

like using a keyboard or a mouse or a touchscreen.

Touchscreens can tell when our fingers touch them

and it sends a message to the computer brain.

The computer brain can't think for itself,

it follows instructions which we call a computer program.

-I hope that answered your question.

-Thanks, Nina.

-You're welcome!

If you want to know more

about the science and engineering that's all around us,

go to the Nina section on the CBeebies website. Have fun!

-# Pulling.

-Pushing.

-Twisting.

-Mixing.

-# Drilling.

-Squeezing.

-Floating.

-Go engineering

# Go engineering!

# When you need to fly it make it, shape it

-# Go engineering

-Go engineering!

# When you want to build go engineering

# Engineering!

# When you've got to solve a problem but you don't know how to do it

# It's time to go engineering

# Engineering!

# When you want to lift it stick it, pop it, bend it

# It's time to go engineering

# Engineering!

-# Go engineering

-Go engineering!

# When you need to fly it make it, shape it

# Engineering!

-# Go engineering

-Go engineering!

# When you want to build go engineering

# Go engineering! #

I've had a fabby day!

My favourite part was seeing the huge computer.

It's been a marvellous day.

Touchscreens are very clever.

I enjoyed myself today. Especially when everyone searched for the mouse.

And remember, engineers helped to build the world around us.

They make things work and use science to solve problems.

See you again soon. Bye!

Bye!