Our number system is base 10, meaning each place value is 10 times greater than the column that comes after it, but it doesn't have to be like that. Computers use base 2, which are binary numbers. Essentially a switch can only be off or on, a number can be 0 or 1. So how would you count? That's what my Maths Art students learned to do this week - count in Binary.
Once you get your head around the fact that each place value is worth double the previous, you realise that the final digit is worth '1', what we think of as the 10s digit is worth '2', the hundreds is worth '4' and so on. If you can write out all the numbers of the alphabet and assign each a number, then write that number in binary, you can assign a colour to each number and decipher a secret code.
In the picture above, gold is '0' and blue is '1'. The letter A would be number 1, or in binary 00001, so four gold squares followed by a blue one.
The top row describes the first two letters of the message, the second row the second two letters of the message. Can you find the letter A in the first two rows? If not, perhaps you should consider taking Maths Art. It unlocks a multitude of mysteries.