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[–] 18 points 4 months ago (7 children)

Sumerians, 4-5000ya counted to 12 on one hand. 4 fingers with 3 sections each with the thumb as a pointer. Then the other hand counted off 5x12 which gave us yhe hexadecimal system of counting which is still in use today.

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  • [–] 9 points 4 months ago (3 children)

    I can count to 31 in one hand in binary. It's not a super useful skill, but it's won me a bar bet more than once.

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  • [–] 9 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    I want to go to the kinds of bars where counting in binary wins bets. Most of the time it's things like "open a beer bottle with your eye socket".

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  • [–] 1 point 4 months ago

    The trick is to be the one making the bets and to word them in a way that makes the losing side sound like the winning side (or one that generates enough curiosity about how you can actually do it that people accept the bet knowing you probably have a trick).

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  • [–] 3 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    Is this something that can be easily taught? Could you teach us how to do this?

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  • [–] 4 points 4 months ago

    Use your thumb to "point" (touch) a section of your index finger, middle finger, ring finger, pinky...now move up a section of the finger.

    Tada you learned it.

    The other hand goes 1 when you maxed out your finger sections, then 2 when you do it again where one equals 12 and 2 equals 24 etc.

    There's really nothing to it, no research needed...just attempt to mimic what the comment describes and you're there.

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