title: What does the ** maths operator do in Python?
body: <p>What does this mean in Python:</p>
  
  <pre><code>sock.recvfrom(2**16)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I know what sock is, and I get the gist of the <code>recvfrom</code> function, but what the heck is <code>2**16</code>? Specifically, the two asterisk/double asterisk operator?</p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p><em>(english keywords, because it's hard to search for this: times-times star-star asterisk-asterisk double-times double-star double-asterisk operator)</em></p>