Silliness Friday's Question of the day 3/6/09

pshrynk · 03-06-2009, 12:05 PM

So, the next would be 12?

Steven Lyle Jordan · 03-06-2009, 12:30 PM

Depends on what base you are in. At any rate, you forgot the "/".

pshrynk · 03-06-2009, 12:31 PM

True, it could be 10.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 03-06-2009, 12:31 PM

Or 11.

Excuse me, /11.

If it's in base 11.

DixieGal · 03-06-2009, 12:36 PM

I had to learn base 16 for a math class many moons ago. Retained that bit of useful info barely long enough to pass the test! So far, it's never come up again.

It was a "history of math" type of class, and you need base 16 to read ancient Persian cunieform clay tablets with daily inventories on it.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 03-06-2009, 12:52 PM

Leave it to the Persians to be difficult. I wonder what-all they used to count on to come up with sixteen? Let's see: Ten fingers, unless you don't count the thumbs; ten toes, unless you don't count... no, they're all toes, so unless you had some cut off by a Spartan... or, maybe they used dance steps...

Wetdogeared · 03-06-2009, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pshrynk

So, the next would be 12?

This something to do with read a book week?

pshrynk · 03-06-2009, 01:05 PM

So, it's 10 base 12, 11 base 11, and 12 base 10, and c base anything beyond that. Base nine is right out!

Steven Lyle Jordan · 03-06-2009, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wetdogeared

This something to do with read a book week?

No, that's March 8-14... which would be 8-12 base 12, 8-13 base 11, 8-15 base 9, 10-14 base 8, and 11-20 base 7...

Base 10 is okay, if you want to be pedantic about it.

DixieGal · 03-06-2009, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Leave it to the Persians to be difficult. I wonder what-all they used to count on to come up with sixteen? Let's see: Ten fingers, unless you don't count the thumbs; ten toes, unless you don't count... no, they're all toes, so unless you had some cut off by a Spartan... or, maybe they used dance steps...

If I remember, 16 was some sort of holy number or something. Honestly, I'm surprised I've remembered this much of the class. And the writing is triangles based on arrangments of lines, so maybe (left leaning triangle pointing down) might represent 2. Something complicated along those lines. So the test would have questions like (left leaning triangle pointing down + left leaning triangle pointing right) = _________ in base 16, which is _________ in base 8, which is __________ in base 10.

I passed. Barely.

zelda_pinwheel · 03-06-2009, 01:50 PM

the question is immaterial. all your base are belong to ME !

DixieGal · 03-06-2009, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

the question is immaterial. all your base are belong to ME !

But of course! I was talking about after you finished with them and tossed them into the royal trash.

GeoffC · 03-06-2009, 02:00 PM

the base is where one starts !..... I thought it was -1 ....

Steven Lyle Jordan · 03-06-2009, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DixieGal

If I remember, 16 was some sort of holy number or something. Honestly, I'm surprised I've remembered this much of the class. And the writing is triangles based on arrangments of lines, so maybe (left leaning triangle pointing down) might represent 2. Something complicated along those lines. So the test would have questions like (left leaning triangle pointing down + left leaning triangle pointing right) = _________ in base 16, which is _________ in base 8, which is __________ in base 10.

I passed. Barely.

I... probably played hooky that day.

Barcey · 03-06-2009, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DixieGal

If I remember, 16 was some sort of holy number or something. Honestly, I'm surprised I've remembered this much of the class. And the writing is triangles based on arrangments of lines, so maybe (left leaning triangle pointing down) might represent 2. Something complicated along those lines. So the test would have questions like (left leaning triangle pointing down + left leaning triangle pointing right) = _________ in base 16, which is _________ in base 8, which is __________ in base 10.

I passed. Barely.

I didn't know that. Computer programming would be a lot easier if we would have stuck with the Persian system. They were way ahead of their time.

03-06-2009, 12:05 PM	#1
pshrynk Beepbeep n beebeep, yeah! Posts: 11,726 Karma: 8255450 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: La Crosse, Wisconsin, aka America's IceBox Device: iThingie, KmkII, I miss Zelda!	Friday's Question of the day 3/6/09 So, the next would be 12?

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03-06-2009, 12:30 PM	#2
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	Depends on what base you are in. At any rate, you forgot the "/".

03-06-2009, 12:31 PM	#3
pshrynk Beepbeep n beebeep, yeah! Posts: 11,726 Karma: 8255450 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: La Crosse, Wisconsin, aka America's IceBox Device: iThingie, KmkII, I miss Zelda!	True, it could be 10.

03-06-2009, 12:36 PM	#5
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	I had to learn base 16 for a math class many moons ago. Retained that bit of useful info barely long enough to pass the test! So far, it's never come up again. It was a "history of math" type of class, and you need base 16 to read ancient Persian cunieform clay tablets with daily inventories on it.

03-06-2009, 12:52 PM	#6
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	Leave it to the Persians to be difficult. I wonder what-all they used to count on to come up with sixteen? Let's see: Ten fingers, unless you don't count the thumbs; ten toes, unless you don't count... no, they're all toes, so unless you had some cut off by a Spartan... or, maybe they used dance steps...

03-06-2009, 01:05 PM	#8
pshrynk Beepbeep n beebeep, yeah! Posts: 11,726 Karma: 8255450 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: La Crosse, Wisconsin, aka America's IceBox Device: iThingie, KmkII, I miss Zelda!	So, it's 10 base 12, 11 base 11, and 12 base 10, and c base anything beyond that. Base nine is right out!

03-06-2009, 01:50 PM	#11
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	the question is immaterial. all your base are belong to ME !

03-06-2009, 02:00 PM	#13
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,600 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	the base is where one starts !..... I thought it was -1 ....