this post was submitted on 11 Feb 2024
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. A showerthought should offer a unique perspective on an ordinary part of life.

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The probability of losing your life to a cosmic ray bit-flip is increasing daily (lemmy.ml)
submitted 9 months ago by [email protected] to c/showerthoughts
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[โ€“] favrion 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

What is a bit flip?

[โ€“] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Computers store everything as electric current. If the current is on it's a one. If the current is off it's a zero. High energy particles from outer space regularly blast through our upper atmosphere into the Earth passing through most solid matter. These high energy particles can induce the electric currents when they impact computer components. These erant current can cause a one to become a zero or a zero to become a one. This can have all kinds of interesting effects depending on which zero and one got changed when and where. Normally this causes a crash of the program or operating system.