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[-] grue@lemmy.world 27 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

This should've been two sentences, max:

Fact check: Is Mamdani introducing Arabic numerals to New York schools?

False. New York schools have used Arabic numerals for centuries because that's what "1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0" are, dumbass!

[-] count_dongulus@lemmy.world 23 points 6 months ago

These opinion pieces really need to focus on more important messages. They ought to literally read:

"If you understand 1, 2, and 3, you use Arabic numerals. Who told you New York's mayor was introducing 'Arabic numerals'? They did this to scare you. They are trying to manipulate you. They think you are stupid, and that they can control you. Block them."

[-] thagoat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 21 points 6 months ago

People can't be this stupid, can they?

[-] FigMcLargeHuge@sh.itjust.works 12 points 6 months ago

Maybe they were exposed to too much dihydrogen monoxide?

[-] eezeebee@lemmy.ca 6 points 6 months ago

I heard he exposed his epidermis in public!

[-] HexadecimalSky@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago

what next giving children dihydrogen monoxide?

[-] adespoton@lemmy.ca 3 points 6 months ago

Pumping the classrooms full of mostly nitrogen gas….

[-] mp3@lemmy.ca 4 points 6 months ago

It appears some of them were baptised for too long.

[-] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago

I'm stealing this.

[-] Whostosay@sh.itjust.works 1 points 6 months ago

Not long enough.

[-] hemmes@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago

Stuff ‘ill kill ya

[-] nate3d@lemmy.world 10 points 6 months ago

Think about how stupid the average person is, then realize half of them are dumber than that.

  • George Carlin
[-] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 6 points 6 months ago

They can, they are, and it's not the lowest they can go.

Here. Eat a tidepod. Maybe you're just hungry.

[-] Zorque@lemmy.world 0 points 6 months ago

Is the stupidity that people were eating tidepods.. or that they were tricked into thinking eating tidepods was actually trend when it was just a few individuals?

[-] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago
[-] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 2 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

It was like two different things. Small children were accidentally eating laundry pods because they look like candy and the packaging was poorly designed. Teenagers creating memes because it was hilarious boomer media was falling for it.

[-] Zahille7@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago

KnowYourMeme has been a fantastic resource for Internet history imo.

[-] IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 6 points 6 months ago

there was someone on Grindr telling insinuating me that they had a price. I asked them to tell me in Arabic numerals. then they Google translated it to spelling it in Arabic.

American sorely needs to invest in education.

[-] Sumocat@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago

Have you not seen who we elected to be recently President? Again.

[-] ricecake@sh.itjust.works 2 points 6 months ago

I had someone indignantly think I was making a racist joke when I said algebra came from the middle east.
I had a tricky time explaining that no, I'm not joking about the word sounding Arabic, it's actually derived from Arabic and I was earnestly sharing a fact.

Their heart, if not their head, was in the right place at least.

[-] foodandart@lemmy.zip 2 points 6 months ago

Oh yeah.. I mentioned this one a few days ago, as my husband's co-workers brought it up..

People can be that reactionary when they don't know shit.

[-] dhork@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago

Not only are people this stupid, but those people have a vote, too. (At least if they are citizens)

[-] aberrate_junior_beatnik@midwest.social 1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

This article cites two X posts and makes vague assertions that "The claim caused a stir online, with some X users condemning Mamdani." How much of a stir, how many users, and how many of them were criticizing Mamdani for the topic at hand is unclear.

I doubt many people were taken in (though I'm not surprised to see a west virginia lawmaker involved, state legislators are truly the dregs of our society), and I think Newsweek mostly made this up.

[-] elbucho@lemmy.world 1 points 6 months ago

I used to hope that, but these last couple of decades have brutally beten such optimism out of me.

[-] snausagesinablanket@lemmy.world 19 points 6 months ago

This joke is already so old it had grandkids.

[-] watson@lemmy.world 7 points 6 months ago
[-] SanctimoniousApe@lemmings.world 2 points 6 months ago

What have they been using up to now?

[-] vateso5074@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago

Proper Roman numerals, like a true patrician.

[-] Deebster@infosec.pub 5 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

They’re called "Arabic numerals" because the system was transmitted to Europe through medieval Arabic scholars, but they are universal

Funny thing is the Indo-Arabic/Hindu-Arabic numerals aren't the only ones used in Arabic-speaking countries. I've seen prices like ٣٥٠ (350) in places like Jordan and Egypt. Here's a chart:

A table showing 0-9 in Arabic-Indic, Eastern Arabic-Indic (Persian and Urdu), Devanagari (Hindi) and Tamil

I would say the familiar 0-9 system is understood globally, but I don't know about those Alpha Centaurians.

[-] tkk13909@sopuli.xyz 7 points 6 months ago
[-] IAmNorRealTakeYourMeds@lemmy.world 6 points 6 months ago

they are fancy as fuck

[-] TowardsTheFuture@lemmy.zip 5 points 6 months ago

I assume those are probably the actual Arabic numerals (before they got the Indian numerals, hence why it doesn’t have a symbol for 0, which also came from India.)

[-] TheTechnician27@lemmy.world 5 points 6 months ago

You cannot grasp the true form of Tamil 5's attack.

[-] dylanmorgan@slrpnk.net 5 points 6 months ago

If I was the Newsweek editor who had to shepherd this article through publication, I’d probably be dead of alcohol poisoning.

[-] shalafi@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago

Teachers need to make up a permission form to teach Arabic numbers. Then put those kids to learning Roman Numerals.

[-] adespoton@lemmy.ca 2 points 6 months ago

Give them a choice between Arabic and Chinese :D

[-] Zahille7@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago

Who's gonna tell 'em?

[-] CaptainBlinky@lemmy.myserv.one 3 points 6 months ago

HUR DUR LETS GIVE THE TROLL VICTIMS ATTENTION HUR DUR

[-] independantiste@sh.itjust.works 2 points 6 months ago

fart check:

this post was submitted on 23 Nov 2025
69 points (93.7% liked)

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