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Gunnar_Zarncke comments on Raising numerate children - Less Wrong Discussion

33 Post author: Gunnar_Zarncke 30 August 2013 11:44PM

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Comment author: Gunnar_Zarncke 01 September 2013 09:18:07AM 3 points [-]

Because I do not really stop at that point. I may stop in the chain of a why game. But the topics will come up again and again in different locations. For example when my sons ask how many is "million times million times million times million" I will not just answer "septillion" (*) but e.g. try to illustrate this with an example like "water particles within a spoonful of water". Or if we heat sugar in a pan to make caramel I might note that the sugar partical hpentagons break up or form new structures. Or if we speak about respiration I will (building on oxidaition in fire) to explain that the lung equalizes oxygen and CO2 levels of air and blood.

  • Note that in German this is "Quadrillion" nicely verbalizing exponentiation via 'quad'='four' times multiplication of million.
Comment author: Bobertron 01 September 2013 09:58:30AM 1 point [-]

Now I'm venturing into off-topic territory, but:

Note that in German this is "Quadrillion" nicely verbalizing exponentiation via 'quad'='four' times multiplication of million.

I didn't know that. German is my own native language (and AFAIK many others work the same). I'm not very good with large numbers (I usually count them: "million, milliard, billion, billiard..."), so that helps.

Comment author: Gunnar_Zarncke 01 September 2013 10:49:55AM *  2 points [-]

It is easy. For example Avogadros number is roughly 10^-24 (for the purpose of estimating numbers of particles in natural phenomena) thus 24=4∙6 thus million^4 thus "Quadrillion" in German. And one googol is 10^100 and 100 = 16∙6+3+1 thus 10 "Sedezilliarden" (from 16=sedecem) albeit all this doesn't work in English at least not so easily.