Skip to main content

Number Systems and YouTube Video IDs - In 100 words or less

With upwards of 500 hours of video uploaded every minute, there is the question of exhaustion - Will YouTube ever run out of Video IDs? 


A unique sequence of 11 random characters identifies a video. This compact and readable format has a deadly weapon, however. It harnesses the power of higher-order number systems.


YouTube uses the base 64 number system(0-9, a-z, A-Z, - and _). So, Youtube can store 64^11 videos, enough for every human to upload a video every minute for 18,000 years. 


While we technically can exhaust IDs, the solution is simple - just add another character!


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Earworms - In 100 words or less

Earworms are unwanted and catchy tunes that "auto-repeat" in our heads. They can be triggered when we are in a dreamy, meditative, or nostalgic state.  "Catchier" songs are more likely to become earworms; these are generally faster and easier to sing along. An anxious or receptive person is more likely to fall prey to earworms.  Contrary to popular belief, trying to force the song out of your head is one of the worst things to do ; instead, we must passively accept it and move on.  There is a silver lining to all this,  earworms shape your creative process too.
Post a Comment
Read more

Triangular Arbitrage - In 100 words or less

Triangular Arbitrage is a situation that arises when exchange rates do not  exactly  match up -  Exchange Rate Discrepancies . Say you had  k1  units of currency A.   When converted to currency B,  k1  becomes  k2. When converted to currency C,  k2  becomes  k3. Ordinarily ,  when we convert  k3  to currency A, we get  k1  back.  But, in this condition, we would get more than  k1 ! As cool as this sounds, for an average person, it is hopelessly impractical because these are few and far between. Furthermore, Low profits require large trades done  very  quickly - a job for automation software .
Post a Comment
Read more

Polyphasic Sleep - In 100 words or less

Most of us sleep in a  single six to nine-hour stretch - monophasic sleep .    Polyphasic Sleep seems to be a viable alternative to some athletes and productivity freaks, which mostly consists of one long sleep of a few hours and several shorter sleep periods . Babies and pets commonly practice this form of sleep.   While polyphasic sleep might work for certain specific situations or groups of people by making sleep deeper and hence more productive, it is generally not advisable for students or employees. This is because its improper practice can lead to sleep deprivation, irritability, and general fatigue .
Post a Comment
Read more