Regular blog readers will know that I love numbers - I like them better than letters. Can you count the reasons?
 |
| Source |
- there are fewer of them - 10 as opposed to 26
- they can be strung together any old how to make newer, bigger (or smaller) numbers
- unlike a random string of letters I can still read & pronounce 34218642556021756346906314580!
- the everyday rules for manipulating numbers are pretty simple and very powerful - no past participles, no imperfect subjunctives, nothing irregular to trip you up - just adding and subtracting with some multiplying and dividing for speed!
- two digits, not two letters are at the heart of the industrialised world: 0 and 1 are the binary representations of Boolean algebra that helped drive early mechanisation
- you can count letters but you don't need to spell numbers
- numbers are internationally recognised: I can write down my credit card number for a Norwegian, a Ukranian or a Mexican and they will all be happy
- marking maths problems is quicker than marking English essays
- numbers are lucky - have you ever heard of anyone having a lucky letter?
- people understand you when you dictate a number - no confusion between 6 and 3 like there is between M & N or B & D; no need to behave like police dispatchers and spell out Oscar Uniform Tango
Do you like numbers? How about Tens? There are lots of them over at Shimelle's place - why not share your own?
16 comments:
I love this post! At the beginning I was all for the letters, but you're right - numbers are pretty awesome! :)
My daughter would agree with that - I'll have to show her later. I still love words though - you can't convey emotion with numbers. And how much richer are our scrapbooks pages with journalling?
read your title, saw the piccy of count & in my head I heard the "hahahaha", the thunder & the lightening flash :D
Please remember though that there is a darker side of numbers, the areas that are rarely spoken about, such as 7 8 9, how scary is that, cannibalism in the number world.
This is great!
Of course you know you have thrown me a challenge :) I might have to start thinking about the ways of the words..
Love your post!! You'd be great at selling icecream on the north pole!!!!
Great post! I love the 'up to 70% off' ads. I also like the ones that tell you this great new product costs 50% less but then never tells you what it is comparing itself too.
I'm in agreement with you for some stuff - but the . and , difference between us and the Europeans can confuse people not to mention the different ways people write their numbers 7s and 1s in particular (4s and 9s a bit too)
However, I do like numbers and enjoy working with them - except with some go a wandering and I can't work out where!
You know I love numbers :) My favourite is pi, I think. I do rather like letters and words too, though.....
I'm a letters girl myself, though I can understand your points! I like the one about dictating numbers, it can be very annoying explaining letters! x
How do you stop them dancing? and how do you prevent them swapping places when you glance away? I like numbers but I love words...
Great list of observations about numbers! I totally agree that advertisements can be very misleading when those words are added to the numbers.
Oh Jemma give me an English essay rather than a Maths problem any day! A great entertaining post, for all your promoting the case for numbers, you have a great way with words.
E
xx
A vote for numbers any day!!! As one who has to mark and teach both english and maths, I love the certainty of numbers!
Yes, I can see the value of numbers (though I won't be giving up on language any time soon!) and your post has made me think and smile :).
Love this post. I have a soft spot for words that are numbers and the other way too.
Three cats when out in a boat. Their names were un, deux, and trois.
The boat springs a leak and sinks. What happens to the cats?
Un, deux, and trois cats (quatre) sank! (cinq)
Have decided that my lucky letter is B
Fantastic post! I must agree with you about the numbers.
Post a Comment