ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Ternary computer

A ternary computer is a new type of computer that uses three different symbols to represent information instead of just two symbols like regular computers. These symbols can represent numbers, letters, or any other type of data that computers work with.

Think of it like playing with blocks. In a regular computer, each block can either be on or off, like a light switch. But in a ternary computer, the blocks can be on, off, or somewhere in between, like a dimmer switch. This gives us more ways to represent information and do calculations.

Imagine you had three colored blocks: red, green, and blue. In a ternary computer, we could use these blocks to represent different numbers. For example, if we wanted to represent the number 5, we could stack five green blocks on top of each other. If we wanted to represent 6, we could stack six blue blocks on top of each other.

Ternary computers are still in the experimental stage and are not widely used yet. But some experts believe that they could be faster and more efficient than regular computers because they can represent more information with each symbol.