[jfarmer]

I sometimes use a Turing Tumble to demonstrate this: https://upperstory.com/turingtumble/

I've also had occasional success first convincing them they know how to add "mindlessly", by just manipulating symbols, and then explaining that we can have machines do it mindlessly, too. I don't use those words, ofc.

For example, you might ask them "Imagine you had a younger sibling who couldn't add. Maybe they didn't even know what numbers were. Could you teach them how to add by just telling them what symbols to write down as they looked through the symbols in the addition problem? Maybe there's an index card labeled '6+3' and on it is written '9'. You tell them to look for the correct index card and write down the corresponding symbol."

You can also explain binary to any interested student who is 13+ and then the idea that a machine can do it becomes a lot easier.

This video of Richard Feynman explaining how computers works is very good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKWGGDXe5MA

He uses a metaphor I've gotten a lot of mileage out of. Imagine you have a clerk who can add and multiply like a regular person. Now imagine there's someone else who knows only how to add and count, but have no idea what multiplication is.

If they can add and count fast enough, it'll look to an outsider like they not only know what multiplication is, but they can do any multiplication problem almost instantly.

Computers are like that: dumb but fast.

If they do something fast enough they give the illusion of "understanding", kind of like movies give the illusion of motion by swapping out still images fast enough.