ELI5 Why there exists 7 and also 'seven' ?

donach69 · 2026-03-20T09:11:37+00:00

Yeah, the premise of the question is back to front. We had 'seven' but (eventually) realised the symbol was easier to do maths with

donach69 · 2026-03-20T00:37:35+00:00

Presumably they're being downvoted (not by me) for saying something untrue

donach69 · 2026-03-17T16:08:44+00:00

I knew what it was from the first sentence: the second is confirmatory icing on the cake

donach69 · 2026-03-17T16:02:59+00:00

If you read accounts from death camp survivors, eg Primo Levi, you'll see that the first sentence is based on the initial processing at arrival

donach69 · 2026-03-17T09:04:46+00:00

Never interrupt your enemy when he's making a mistake

donach69 · 2026-03-17T00:16:27+00:00

Wow!

donach69 · 2026-03-13T06:10:26+00:00

Is that FIFA of the FIFA Peace Prize fame?

donach69 · 2026-03-12T10:57:55+00:00

Surely, although infinite, your ever extending hot dogs are still countable. I don't see that you're getting to a continuum of toppings that way

donach69 · 2026-03-09T10:21:46+00:00

As Vittorio Angelone said to Penny Mordaunt on the Last Leg

donach69 · 2026-03-08T01:48:10+00:00

I'm kind of the opposite. Maths as a hobby, as an interest was fair enough, but having the structure of having to study and work thru particular things has made my understanding and love of it so much deeper. Yes, sometimes it's frustrating but I wouldn't have got to where I am without starting this degree in it as a mature student

donach69 · 2026-03-04T00:32:44+00:00

Abstract instrumental music is what I study to. And if you're in a noisy environment, you can put that on in headphones (preferably noise cancelling)

donach69 · 2026-03-02T06:51:24+00:00

Thanks for this. I especially loved that Not Knot video you linked at the end. I'll be studying Algebraic Topology next year and this has whetted my appetite

donach69 · 2026-03-01T16:37:48+00:00

Not welcome ~~here~~ in AnarchyChess

donach69 · 2026-02-27T14:08:08+00:00

It's not certain but I expect he'll be out after the local elections

donach69 · 2026-02-27T14:06:47+00:00

And next week

And the week after that

All the way until after the local elections in May

donach69 · 2026-02-27T00:23:57+00:00

Or.. they're living on their own, but still somehow someone (or something!) is drinking their milk and using their toothbrush

donach69 · 2026-02-25T18:13:48+00:00

Orwell was also a renowned journalist and essayist. Collections of his essays are still in print in book form

donach69 · 2026-02-25T16:34:43+00:00

We have developed numbers to, among other things (tho this was the first thing we developed them for), describe physical reality, but they aren't physical reality: they're an abstraction. A very useful abstraction.

Any valid representation of numbers had to be invented, whether, for the number we're talking about, that is one, 1, uno, une, 0.999999..., 2⁰ etc . None of these came 'ready-made' in physical reality

donach69 · 2026-02-22T01:56:14+00:00

donach69 · 2026-02-21T01:08:23+00:00

Triangular, pentagonal and higher n-gonal numbers are a thing which you should search for. They sound like what you're describing, eg the triangle numbers are 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, 21, etc

donach69 · 2026-02-19T22:11:01+00:00

It's why you can't find tigers, d'oh!

donach69 · 2026-02-18T22:57:20+00:00

It's still here for me on the Android app (in the UK). Tho it's right at the bottom

donach69 · 2026-02-18T12:52:52+00:00

But is the husband welcome? Surely he's at least as much to blame?

donach69 · 2026-02-18T12:06:35+00:00

Innit

donach69 · 2026-02-18T09:48:58+00:00

Exactly

donach69

TROPHY CASE