Science

BadgerKid

(5,013 posts)

42. Huh? Is she suggesting "western arithmetic pride"?

Thu Aug 6, 2020, 05:29 PM

Aug 2020

"Western" numerals derive from "eastern" numerals actually, specifically Western Arabic and, before that, various Indian languages.

The representation "2+2=4" reflects the evolution of numerals and symbolic convention.

Anyway, the idea of 2+2=4 seems axiomatic to me, not cultural. Some animals can count, too. What about those cultures?

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Is the idea of "2 + 2 = 4" cultural? [View all] Dr. Strange Jul 2020 OP

🙄 LakeArenal Jul 2020 #1

Well, considering that she didn't bother to explain what she meant, grumpyduck Jul 2020 #2

Her tweets are protected... Dr. Strange Jul 2020 #6

As a mathematician (I most definitely am not) you might be able to support or reject this idea of chia Jul 2020 #12

Yeah... Dr. Strange Jul 2020 #18

Fine, but they "should" be at least presenting an argument. grumpyduck Jul 2020 #13

Um, no. Dr. Strange Jul 2020 #16

Google still has a cache of the twitter thread muriel_volestrangler Jul 2020 #21

Thanks for finding this. Dr. Strange Jul 2020 #23

so much gobbledygook NRaleighLiberal Jul 2020 #3

Postmodernism janterry Jul 2020 #4

Only when so absolutely drunk that Igel Jul 2020 #26

No. Ron Obvious Jul 2020 #5

It means this was trolling bullshit. Voltaire2 Jul 2020 #7

I might agree with that if she was alone. Dr. Strange Jul 2020 #8

Trolling.nt CatLady78 Jul 2020 #9

The link goes to PJ Media, not inclined to give them clicks chia Jul 2020 #10

I would have preferred to link to the actual tweet. Dr. Strange Jul 2020 #11

I can say that buttering the toast on the top is also a cultural thing. grumpyduck Jul 2020 #14

We should nuke those bastards that butter side down! Lucky Luciano Aug 2020 #40

It means somebody is looking for a shortcut Warpy Jul 2020 #15

Put two eggs on a table. Now put two more. Count the eggs. Regardless of culture, same answer. Midnight Writer Jul 2020 #17

I guess it depends on which number base you're working in... Wounded Bear Jul 2020 #19

And if you're baseless? n/t Igel Jul 2020 #27

I don't know what she means, but she says the "idea" is cultural. Jim__ Jul 2020 #20

That's true. Dr. Strange Jul 2020 #24

I don't believe she's saying it's not true. Jim__ Jul 2020 #25

The symbols used to denote the numbers are cultural. Science is not cultural. applegrove Jul 2020 #22

There are some weird cultural systems involving numbers. Igel Jul 2020 #28

I did not know french was a 20 based system originally. applegrove Jul 2020 #29

I remember learning about different bases in public school. Our teacher applegrove Jul 2020 #31

Base-60 is so horrid we use it every day! BadgerKid Aug 2020 #41

This is the old "who has all the answers" philosophy question put on an especially poor platform. Eugene Jul 2020 #30

Well, as I recall, Alfred Whitehead and Bertrand Russell spent page after page... NNadir Jul 2020 #32

And then along came Gödel and...BOOM! Dr. Strange Jul 2020 #33

Update: we seemed to have made the attack list. Dr. Strange Jul 2020 #34

No one is attacking her, they are attacking a lack of intellectual rigor janterry Jul 2020 #35

That site mentions the tweeting from Keith Devlin. Dr. Strange Jul 2020 #36

Well, if she tweets in public, "attacking" "Western Imperialism" for supporting 2+2 equals 4 muriel_volestrangler Jul 2020 #37

Integer math is fucking bullshit. Counting is a lie. hunter Jul 2020 #38

This is totally gonna invalidate my thesis on equivariant cohomology theories :( Lucky Luciano Aug 2020 #39

Huh? Is she suggesting "western arithmetic pride"? BadgerKid Aug 2020 #42