Number feary
There are still some cultures knocking about that use simple counting systems – that is to say they only have two numbers, usually, ‘one’ and ‘many’.
That’s the sort of maths I appreciate.
There isn’t even ‘zero’ to contend with, since if you have nothing of something, there’s not much point in talking about it… you don’t go to the market to buy no cows…
I’m spending the day trying to conform to that system and so far I have yet to stumble across a failing. I’m actually using ‘one’ and ’some’.
I can negotiate times and meetings, mostly using television as a reference – I’ll meet you some time after The Simpsons.
…and in response to questions such as ‘how many cups of tea?’ I have to answer, ‘One for me, one for Steve, and one for Dan’. It’s not efficient, but it works.
It’s a shame really, it can’t go on forever. Sooner or later I’m going to be ambushed by a number that has to be said to avoid dire consequences… I just don’t know what that is going to be or when it is going to happen. Perhaps it’ll be when setting my alarm clock – they’re pretty tricky to negotiate without using numbers… or maybe it’ll be when I walk into a shop and my offer of ’some money’ just doesn’t do it for them…
I want you to think of this as a destruction testing seminar. Is there any possible way you could live, reasonably, in modern osciety, without using more numbers?
justine on 
Sadly not. The thing is, although I tend to abhor numbers, letting go of them is something I’d find very hard to do.
They’re MY numbers to hate.
Reading your post made me think of 1984. Instead of saying excellent, or great, or awesome, good was used in combination with a certain number of ‘very’s. In your post, rather than saying five you would simply repeat one five times. The loss of vocabulary bothers me in both places.
I have just realized that saying one five times feels like cheating when thinking about the “one” and “some” system. It’s still counting, just not very effectively. I would fail at giving up numbers.
I’m too literal minded to ignore specific numbers. I even tend to give precisely accurate time measurements like Data or Spock.
And the other day I did in fact go to the store to buy no cows. That wasn’t the main reason I went, but it was on my list:
headache pills
ice cream
lunchmeat
no cows
soda
frozen pizza
And when I got back from the store, sure enough I’d bought no cows at all. That’s why it’s important to make a list and STICK TO IT.
I have to agree with that sentiment.
Buying excess cows is a real burden to the tax payer.
My friend often writes ” Love and Happiness” on her household shopping list.
So far, not one has bought that item.
Maybe she needs to specify a quantity?
huh? dat don’ make no sense.
without the lunchmeat and pizza
you don’t need no headache pills.
You could use binary.
But, the fact is, you are still referring to larger numbers.
I would rather use fractions of much larger numbers.
Like 1/3 of Graham’s number
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham’s_number
6/711453 of an octodecillion.
83/7 of pi.
Being Australian, we also use terms like shit-tins, f**kloads, oodles, bugger-all, heaps, few, couple, about yay big, bees dick, knee high to a grasshopper, etc.
These are all official terms, that when used in context describe a precise mathematical quantity.
i’ve never lived in an osciety
(if that is what you call a numberless society).
i can do without the birthdays
maybe even time itself
but i’d still want to be
No. 1 in somebody’s life…
“Being Australian, we also use terms like shit-tins, f**kloads, oodles, bugger-all, heaps, few, couple, about yay big, bees dick, knee high to a grasshopper, etc.
These are all official terms, that when used in context describe a precise mathematical quantity.”
It’s true, they do. I really like non-specific amounts and volumes.
I use ‘bunch’ and ‘handful’ a lot.
Seems like you have some comments. I’m making one comment.
Here it is.
Is that really true, that you’re having something sent into space?
Because that would be *puts on best Chris Griffin voice* awesome.
Hopefully I didn’t speak too soon — it has to be weighed and measured first. There’s a limit to what can be packed into those shuttles, even in the bags belonging to the astronomers!
Of course, when they ask me about it I’ll say: “it’s some inches long, and weighs some pounds.”
Measured… in inches or cms? You have to make sure.
I’ll have my fingers crossed for you. With the exception of my uncle T., who had a thing for pyrotechnics, I have never spoken to anyone that has actually sent something in to space.
Hey, thanks! If all goes well, in space it will be and you knew all about it beforehand thanks to the mighty networks of the Intertron!
Of course, it is some cms long — some inches, too.
It was my understanding that cultures with simple counting systems usually use “one,” “two,” and “many.”