this post was submitted on 12 Dec 2023
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Middle-old American here.
I was taught "numbers" and Roman Numerals.
Post high school (largely because I work with data for a living) I have been exposed to the concept that there are a wide variety of numeral systems out there.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_numeral_systems
When responding to the prompt, I was thinking something to the effect of the first table on that wiki page and went "nah, Americans struggle hard enough with basic English Numerals, adding other numeral systems would be a complete nightmare." Not because I'm racist, because I'm simple dumb.
Little did I know my American public education in the 90s/00s ass I was stepping into a "dangers of dihydrogen monoxide" trap.
Great example of "don't attribute to malice what can be attributed to simple ignorance."
I think you're exaggerating this a bit. Not sure how to state it, but this particular ignorance seems very widespread, and that was my point. I can't fault people for not knowing all the different number systems.
For example; When we see pictures from all over Asia, still Arabic numerals. I just can't see this sort of ignorance as "bad".
I'm drunk and we're probably agreeing. ๐
gentle fist bump
I am sure at least a few times over 12 years of education I was told they are Arabic numerals.
One of those times was probably minutes after my history teacher said "go to Mexico and look at the street signs, same numbers. Go to China and look at the street signs, different letters same numbers. Go to Sweden. You have no idea what the words are but you know the numbers. Go to Japan. You are lost, nothing is familiar, you don't understand any of the words, written or spoken. You thought you knew how to kind of quietly read the nonverbal language and not be a jerk, but you will always be the jerk in Japan... bit you understand the numbers..."
I was just a typical American, selectively listened, got my diploma anyway though.
Good thread. Giving me shit to contemplate and shit.