ELI5 Rebooting - why does turning it off and on fix things?

How exactly does turning a device off and on fix such a wide array of tech problems? Why are you sometimes asked to turn something off and wait 20 seconds before plugging it in again? Why did ctrl-alt-delete get invented and why this particular key sequence? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: anthraxl0l, damienwithrice, additional-you-5979 and nit3fury To the ELI5 community that has supported us so far, thanks for all your feedback and comments. Send us an e-mail: [email protected]