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Re: Visualization, mental math... and sign language?
Posted By: Nyperold, on host 206.96.180.64
Date: Sunday, August 19, 2001, at 05:29:54
In Reply To: Re: Visualization, mental math... and sign language? posted by Sam on Saturday, August 18, 2001, at 18:02:07:

> I'd like to be able to count in binary on my hands. If you consider each finger a binary digit, which is up for a '1' and down for a '0', you can store the numbers 0-31 on each hand. If you use both hands together, to store a single number, the range of values is 0-1023.
>
> Generally I'd screw up the binary math somehow and get the numbers wrong, but in theory, practice should make one able to count in binary on one's fingers efficiently, without thinking about it. I'd love to be able to do that, but I'm not so sure I want that skill enough to practice it.
>
> S "besides, representing the number '4' is rude" am

LOL! I've thought of the same thing. And yes, numbers making misinterpretable hand signals is one problem. 132 is worse than 4. Another problem is that some numbers hurt to represent if your digits aren't sufficiently limber.

Say, if monkeys could be taught this system, the limit could be extended to 1048575. Ah, well...

Nyperold

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