![img001](https://hackernoon.com/hn-images/0*zpu7u-qDwnpPIubi.jpeg)

> “Behind this mask there is more than just flesh and blood. Beneath this mask there is an idea… and ideas are bulletproof.” — V in ‘V for Vendetta’ by Alan Moore

The idea of code as a language is such a beautiful concept. It is bits… they do not exist in the ‘real’ world and yet a computer understands this abstract symphony of ‘0’s and ‘1’s so well. A computer may it be your smartphone, PC, smartwatch or any other electronic device is a dumb machine, the underlying code is the intelligence. It is not the brain which exists as hardware (cpu, microprocessors, whatever you wish to call it), a code is rather a set of detailed instructions to this brain.

### **How to make lemonade**

![img002](https://hackernoon.com/hn-images/0*W03fuav85m1QER_6.jpeg)

If I ask you to make lemonade, this is probably what you would do;

**Step 1:** Go to the fridge.

**Step 2:** Get lemons and cold water.

**Step 3:** If there is no cold water, open the freezer and get ice.

**Step 4:** Get an empty glass.

**Step 5:** Squeeze the lemon in the glass, pour cold water or water and ice.

**Step 6:** Add sugar to taste. Some of you may want salt too.. that’s gross.

**Step 7:** Lemonade is ready.

...

#### …

#### Simple, right?

#### NO!

What you are probably doing is this;

**Step 1:** Recognizing whether you are in the house, what a house means, the concept of 3 Dimensional space.

**Step 2:** Recalling the concept of a lemon, that it is citrus in nature, a generic shape of the lemon, acceptable coloration, where it might be located in the house.

**Step 3:** Knowing/guessing that it is in the fridge because a fridge is a device that increases the shelf life of products and recalling having kept lemons in the fridge sometime last week (this would involve knowing the concept of time… that is a separate discussion).

**Step 4:** Locating the position of the fridge.

**Step 5:** Moving towards the fridge. This involves a lot of obstacle tackling learnt during childhood.

**Step 6:** Recalling how a fridge looks generally.

**Step 7:** Looking at the handle of the fridge.

**Step 8:** Recalling from memory the concept of a handle, maybe a lever.

**Step 9:** Recalling how to grip the handle.

**Step 10:** Gripping the handle firmly.

**Step 11:** Applying force.

…

…

…

(We haven’t even found lemons yet!)

Each step can be further broken down into a detailed set of instructions that might fill up an entire library. Doesn’t it make you wonder how sophisticated a human brain is and how all this feels effortless. You might want to admire the human brain when you look at a lemon the next time. This could be a lot more detailed, but you get the idea now. Making lemonade is an extremely difficult task for a robot/computer.

![alan](https://hackernoon.com/images/0*8tahs3iE84YTD-21.gif)

This intelligence is imbibed in a computer by some of us through typing in these set of instructions with meticulous detail (or sometimes making a robot that writes these details). This set of instructions is referred to as an 'algorithm' in computer jargon. It is difficult, and in a lot of ways extremely fulfilling. Knowing how to code is indeed a super power and I wanted to acquire it. More on this in the next post.

![img003](https://hackernoon.com/hn-images/0*lQsFmh7rdU26EPlC.jpeg)

When life gives you lemons… think about it.

P.S. Here's a recipe for [lemonade](http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/perfect_lemonade/).

Super

2022 - HackerNoon Contributor of the Year - Design

2022 - HackerNoon Contributor of the Year - Hardware

Nominated for 2022 - HackerNoon Contributor of the Year - Design

Nominated for 2022 - HackerNoon Contributor of the Year - Hardware

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Beneath this mask is Data — Part 1 (or how to make lemonade)

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