Nobody? Or nobody now? Have you seen a really big watch? XII - not 1 and 2
or IX - not 9
Many forms exists for the same number
Nobody? Or nobody now? Have you seen a really big watch? XII - not 1 and 2
or IX - not 9
Many forms exists for the same number
All problems in computer science can be solved by another level of indirection,
except for the problem of too many layers of indirection.
– David J. Wheeler
I think my point is being lost.
Nobody that I know of intuitively finds it easier to work with binary numbers in little-endian than in big-endian. All you guys are doing is introducing various formats of reading numbers within totally different representations.
That's not the same thing. All I'm saying is that big-endian binary is more natural to humans than little endian binary... imo, of course.
It's the "to humans" I object to. It's more natural to one subgroup of the humans - us - because we grew up with it. It's not something that is anchored within human nature.
All the buzzt!
CornedBee
"There is not now, nor has there ever been, nor will there ever be, any programming language in which it is the least bit difficult to write bad code."
- Flon's Law
A similar discussion was held recently in the C forum where many people claimed most numbers in decimal form are easier for humans to understand than the same numbers in hexadecimal form. I take it then that you would also object to this claim on the same grounds as you did with my statement about endianess. If so, then I believe I firmly understand your position.
Yes, I would. I believe there are still base 12 number systems in use in some cultures. I know for a fact that there were at some point in history.
I will admit, though, that base 10 is a logical base for humans to use, because we have 10 fingers. I think in an alien species with 8 fingers or so, base 8 would be the predominant numbering system. (Lucky them
All the buzzt!
"There is not now, nor has there ever been, nor will there ever be, any programming language in which it is the least bit difficult to write bad code."
- Flon's Law
I saw it on stargate once, or was that base 15.
The Kzinti use base 8.Originally Posted by CornedBee
I think in an alien species with 8 fingers or so, base 8 would be the predominant numbering system. (Lucky them
"Owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are god. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realize that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are gods."
-Christopher Hitchens
The Dozenal Society of America (http://www.dozenal.org) and the Dozenal Society of Great Britain (http://www.dozenalsociety.org.uk) advocate the use of base 12 arithmetic. They probably should have given it up when pocket calculators came out.
