Summary

In this issue, we uncover the origins of one of computing’s most fundamental building blocks: the byte. From its definition as eight bits to the binary logic that powers data storage, the article traces how bytes made information readable and manageable for humans. It explores why eight bits became the standard, enabling 256 character combinations that shaped modern computing. We also revisit the historical roots of the term, coined by IBM scientist Werner Buchholz to describe a unit of data a machine could “chew.” Together, these insights remind us that even the simplest concepts in technology carry rich histories worth understanding.

The Tale of Bytes and Bits

This week we take a moment to think and learn more about what’s always been with us, helping us store important information and allowing us to benefit, yet not all of us know much about its backstory at all - Bytes.

Have you ever wondered how the all popular “byte”, referred to for any type of storage in any device, came to be? The history of why 1 byte is always 8 bits and the coining of this unique name is a fascinating story. While all modern devices now store things in terms of bytes, the original history began with computers, specifically supercomputers.

Read the story below and open your eyes to how truly simple yet intellectually designed computers have been since the beginning of their invention.

Define “byte”

It represents a storage unit in all computers, one byte consists of 8 bits and each bit is basically either 0 or 1.

The Breakdown

When files are stored, the entire data is divided into many bytes and bits, the division within each byte is done using a positional binary system. In very simple terms, each bit is written as a power of 2 which is doable since the whole byte itself can be written as a power of 2 (8 is basically 2 cubed).The power on each bit depends on its position, with the powers decreasing from left to right. The “weight” of a bit is basically the numeric value of the bit when it’s not written as a power of 2, so bits with higher powers have more weight.

History of bytes

Every computer at its basic level is a large unit of microscopic switches called transistors, these switches can either be “on” or “off”. To make this easier for human comprehension, “0” was assigned to when the switch is off and “1” for when it’s on.

Why is one byte specifically 8 bits? A long time ago the number of bits in one byte wasn’t fixed, it could be any number of bits. However, later on, 8 bits were chosen since 8 could be written as a power of 2 and it allowed for 256 different combinations of storing characters, which fits the entire English alphabet and allows space for more characters and symbols.

The Naming

Werner Buchholz was a German American scientist at IBM. He was a lead architect for many historically important machines including some of the first IBM transistorized supercomputers.

The name “byte” was first coined in June 1956 by Werner Buchholz when he was working on one of the new transitorised supercomputers. He wanted a word to describe how much data a computer could “chew” on as a single unit. He initially chose “bite” but changed it to “byte” to avoid confusion in official papers.

Often we spend so much time studying things of a higher level that we cease to take a moment to understand how certain things we’ve known and used all of our lives are still so unknown to us.

For instance, humans spend so much time researching different areas of medical science and biotech while there’s only around 5% we truly know about the human brain itself, the very brain allowing us to conduct such research and what not.

To overlook the story of bytes is just the same, we take for granted what we’ve always known and benefited from, but it’s important to sometimes ask ourselves, how much do we really know and what’s the story behind it.