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You can count past 1,000 on your fingers by using binary, instead of just 10 (www.mathsisfun.com)

submitted 6 months ago by cm0002@lemmy.cafe to c/til@lemmy.ca

14 comments fedilink hide all child comments

YSK You can count past 1,000 on your fingers by using binary, instead of just 10

With just one hand, you can count to 31, and with both hands you can reach a whopping 1,023. This is because the placement of the held up fingers matters, rather than the amount.

It can be very useful in everyday use, being able to count to huge numbers when you don't have your phone or pen and paper nearby.

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[–] Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de 11 points 6 months ago

You can even count to 59k using ternary, introducing a third, half-raised, finger position.

[+] lvxferre@mander.xyz 8 points 5 months ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

[deleted]

[–] hesh@quokk.au 5 points 5 months ago

I'm a fan of Chisanbop

[–] PeriodicallyPedantic@lemmy.ca 3 points 5 months ago

I like your way, learning as an adult.

But if you were to hypothetically teach a child, then binary would be easier, and they eventually would memorize the positions.

Although realistically by the time they need their second hand, they probably don't need to be counting on their fingers anymore. And I don't think either of these systems is especially helpful for higher math, unless you're multiplying or dividing by a power of 2. Maybe? I forget my 2s compliment operations now.

[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I have the gene where my second thumb joint/knuckle near the base doesn't bend. I can only count to 10 using this method. 11 and 12 are not really reachable. Even 9 is a bit of a stretch.

[–] jaselle@lemmy.ca 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)

try 132

[–] Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 5 months ago

Sometimes its harder to not try 132.

[–] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 4 points 6 months ago (2 children)

11 is extremely hard for me.

[–] funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works 2 points 5 months ago

pianist here : it shares a tendon with the pinkie so your best bet is to bend at the first finger joint (as opposed to the knuckle) or extend it parallel to the palm at a right angle rather than straight up from it

[–] Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 5 months ago

For me basically anything where the ring finger has to act independent from the others is a little bit hard, but still doable.
(11 is one of those numbers)

[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 4 points 5 months ago

Sure , this is neat, but counting single digits on digits is easy for people.

Mentally adding 16 to 8 and 4 is where people will find this more complex, especially if you have easy stuff like 7+5, you have to do the math in your head to move it from 4,2,1+ 4,1 to 8,4.

[–] fascicle@leminal.space 1 points 5 months ago

This reminds me of an engineer ever walking me through a bringup test of a board and telling me to flip some dipswitches so that it added up to some binary number and I just stared at him like can't you just tell me which dips to flip

[–] Rentlar@lemmy.ca 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Try 717, (or just 13 in your right hand)

[–] Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

So ring finger, middle finger and thumb raised?

Is this some hand sign with special meaning I should be aware of?

[–] Rentlar@lemmy.ca 1 points 5 months ago

Not any particular meaning, it's just a tough position to hold with my hand