ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Node (computer science)

Imagine you have an entire neighborhood full of houses, and each house has a different person living inside. Each person is like a computer or electronic device, and their houses are like the "nodes" in computer science.

Now, these nodes are not just ordinary houses because they are connected to each other through some kind of communication system, like a series of tunnels or even the internet. So when someone in one house wants to talk to someone in another house, they can send a message through these connections to reach the other person.

But nodes are not just for talking to each other. They can also work together to do some important tasks. For example, if you wanted to play an online game with your friend who lives in a different house, both of your devices (or nodes) would connect to a server node. This server node helps coordinate the game and make sure that you both can play together smoothly.

Nodes can also store and share information with each other. Let's say you have a picture you want to show your friend who lives in a different house. You can send this picture through the nodes, and it will travel from one node to another until it reaches your friend's device.

But why do we call them nodes? Well, the word "node" comes from the Latin word "nodus," which means knot. In computer science, a node is like a connection point or a knot in a network, where different devices can come together to communicate, share information, or work together on tasks.

So, to sum it up, a node in computer science is like a house full of people that are connected to each other and can talk, share information, and work together on tasks. They are important because they allow computers and electronic devices to communicate and collaborate with each other, making our digital world possible.
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