You're reading this article on a computer. That's a fact.

Whether it's on a laptop, desktop, or mobile device, viewing this content requires you to use an operating system connected to an electronic device. It's also possible that that operating system is being run within another operating system without you even knowing it.

This inception-style computer functionality is all possible thanks to capabilities of virtual machines.

A virtual machine (VM) is a computer file that functions as an actual computer. VMs can then run in instances, often called images, and give the user the same exact experience they would have if they were using their own physical personal computer.

VMs have all of the capabilities and features of a normal computer, like central processing units, network interfaces, memory, and applications. While VM images are reached on endpoint devices, once the user connects to it, the software, applications, and configurations of the VM don't interfere with those of the device on which it is being accessed.

Essentially, when you install a virtual machine, you are creating a computer within a computer.