cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/53581443
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.
See, I don’t trust myself to keep track of which digit is 8 vs 16 vs 32, so I end up recalculating to double check my work even though I usually have it right the first time.
I’m sure if I practiced it more I’d have it down cold, but it’s just how my OCD brain works
Yeah, and ultimately it’s rather silly to practice because it’s not that practical anyway, especially when everyone has a calculator on their phone.