It's BASIC

It’s BASIC

10 for x=1 to 10
20 print x
30 next x

It’s a rather simple program, really. Written in an archaic computer programming language known as BASIC (Beginner’s All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code), this most simple program’s only task is to tick off the numbers from one to ten in rapid succession across the computer screen. Back in my days as a classroom instructor, I’d use the program to demonstrate just exactly how big numbers can be. I’d rev up my trusty old Apple II GS and then have the kids try to race the computer in counting to ten. Invariably, the kids would loose to the super fast computer. It would take the computer less than a snap of the fingers to get to ten while the kids would come in at about two seconds. After that, I’d alter the game a bit and rewrite line 10 of the program to read “10 for x=1 to 100” . Then we’d play the game again. This time the computer would take about a second to get to a hundred while the fastest kids might come in at about 30 seconds.

With the kids amazed by the sheer speed of the computer, I’d alter the game once again and have the kids try to predict how long it would take for the computer to count to a thousand (about 18 seconds) then a million ( about two and a half hours). Every time I played this game with the kids, they would always guess that it would take the computer about 40 seconds to a minute to get to a million. Fourth graders really don’t have a fully developed concept of numerical value. For that matter, neither do adults.

For a final stunt, I would reprogram line ten to read “10 for x = 1 to 1000000000” (one billion). Predictions would be made. Of course, the kids all guessed about four hours or so, and then I’d start the computer on its way to that amazing sum. Fours hours would come and go but the computer wouldn’t even be close to the prize. I’d then use that opportunity to compare the number (2,000,000) with 1,000,000,000. I’d lead the kids to understand that a billion is really a thousand millions. Then day after day, we’d check in on the computer as it raced on toward a billion. In the end, it would usually take just over four months to attain that huge number. That’s right, four months of counting night and day at the super fast computing speed of an Apple II GS would be how long it would take to get to one billion.

The final lesson and mind stretching activity would come by comparing one billion to one trillion. A trillion is made of a thousand billions. Thus, if it took the computer four months to count to a billion, then it would take ________ to get to a trillion. Solution: Since twelve months brings you to 3 billion, take 1,000,000,000,000 and divide by 3,000,000,000 to get 333 years.

Whenever I go through these exercises with kids, I also supplement the discussion with a really cool website called Mega Penny. At this site, Alan Taylor, the site creator, has developed a really fascinating group of penny comparisons to large numbers. Taylor’s image generations show what it would look like if you stacked various numbers of pennies. For example, he shows what a million would look like.

Then he goes on to show what a trillion pennies might look like.

My favorite is the picture of 2,600,000,000,000 (2.6 trillion).

Of course, that's the Sear's Tower in Chicago.

As I contemplate such large numbers, it rarely escapes me of how callously and nonchalantly we toss around our trillion dollar budgets and trillions of dollars in national debt. Across the internet you can find several National Debt Clocks that tryvaliently to catch anyone's attention. The most recent calculations, based on the government's own forecasts, have our country being in debt to the tune of about 8.67 trillion dollars. If my Apple II GS computer were to try to count that high, it would take the computer about 2940.4 years. That’s right, 2,940.4 years and 867 trillion pennies.

It’s all rather BASIC, really.