461

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/21049862

The only numbers I will ever spell are one and zero, and only when using them as a pronoun, or for emphasis, respectively.

Is there ever a reason to not to use symbols when dealing with numbers? Why would "fourteen whatevers" ever be preferable to "14 whatevers". It's just so much easier to read numbers as symbols, not spelled out.

(Caveat, not including multipliers, like "273 billion").

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

Next you’re gonna ask me to use actual scientific notation instead of to the most relevant 3 decimal points. I will not use your bullshit centimeters, that’s just 10 mms

[-] MisterFrog@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

Absolutely, mm > cm all the way. Other than you putting s at the end of mm, we don't take the Lord's (metric) name in vain around here.

I do feel kind of sorry for East Asia though, since their languages seperate at intervals of 10⁴, rather than 10³. The giga and mega prefixes just make no sense there. 1 GW = 10,0000,0000 W and 1 MW = 100,0000.

Language strikes again

Not sure, but perhaps they would prefer a prefix of 10^-4^ rather than mm (10^-3^).

[-] Classy@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago

Wtf I've never heard of this, what a cursed way to notate large numbers

[-] MisterFrog@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

It's not cursed, it's just a different way of grouping. Nothing about grouping in multiples of 10³ is a more natural grouping, were just more used to it.

And I'm pointing out how metric prefixes are actually euro-centric, and that's annoying for them. But there's nothing fundamentally worse about breaking digits in groups of 4, rather than 3

1,000,000,000,000 = 1,0000,0000,0000 (10^12^) [Meme of black and white muscular arms embracing.]

Look up the indian system, now that's actually cursed.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_numbering_system

this post was submitted on 20 Oct 2024
461 points (97.7% liked)

Science Memes

10752 readers
3376 users here now

Welcome to c/science_memes @ Mander.xyz!

A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.



Rules

  1. Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
  2. Keep it rooted (on topic).
  3. No spam.
  4. Infographics welcome, get schooled.


Research Committee

Other Mander Communities

Science and Research

Biology and Life Sciences

Physical Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences

Practical and Applied Sciences

Memes

Miscellaneous

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS