What is 2 + 2?

[Smitty]

there is a simple fact
(almost) everybody on earth received a number of fingers equal to
10

Ahhh, but what about the Indian child recently born with 26 fingers & toes? He could reinvent the whole system...

Smitty

 

[just_jon]

?

 

[Greg Truby]

...Actually, 2 + 2 can equal 10, 11, 100 or even 1111. -A

OK, Andrew, show me. :wink: I get 10 (base 4) and 11 (base 3). But 100 or 1111? 100 would be binary but "2+2" implies that the numeric "2" is valid; so binary is out. And 1111? That one really intrigued me...

 

[Oaktree]

there is a simple fact
(almost) everybody on earth received a number of fingers equal to
10

Ahhh, but what about the Indian child recently born with 26 fingers & toes? He could reinvent the whole system...

Smitty

To be fair, Smitty, it was *only* 25. That 26th would have just been too many.

http://www.nbc5.com/irresistible/5040254/detail.html?z=dp&dpswid=1260382&dppid=65195

 

[Smitty]

Guess I was wrong about the "recently born" part.

That's what I get for listening to NCR.

Smitty

 

[Norie]

From the Guinness site.

At an inquest held on a baby boy at Shoreditch in the East End of London, UK, on September 16, 1921, it was reported that he had 14 fingers and 15 toes.

 

[whiteghost]

what if you have a baby with two heads and niether can agree what 2+2 = ?

 

[tactps]

On a completely unrealted topic, I just hat to share this (and yes it is a true story - it did not happen to a "friend").

A girl at work asked for help with the fax machine, so I went to it with her and asked her to show me what she was doing.

She put in the paper to be faxed, dialled the number and pressed the "send" button. Through it went.

I said "So what's the problem?"

She held up the papaer and said "But it's still here!"

 

[Andrew Fergus]

OK, Andrew, show me. :wink: I get 10 (base 4) and 11 (base 3). But 100 or 1111? 100 would be binary but "2+2" implies that the numeric "2" is valid; so binary is out. And 1111? That one really intrigued me...

For the answer of 100, the question is in decimal but the answer is in base 2 (cheating I know )

As for the 1111 - that's using base 1 for the answer. "Base 1?" I hear you ask. That's a recent invention of mine - each position of n has the value 1^n (which equals 1). Quite nifty but it can only be used for small numbers.

Cheers, Andrew

 

[Felix Atagong]

A girl at work asked for help with the fax machine, so I went to it with her and asked her to show me what she was doing.
She put in the paper to be faxed, dialled the number and pressed the "send" button. Through it went.
I said "So what's the problem?"
She held up the paper and said "But it's still here!"

Even a blonde should know that a fax machine first takes a photocopy and sends that over to the other machine!

And about the 2+2 thing, my Italian boss would say:
I'll makey a gooda price for you.
I canna sella this 2 + 2 for a
fiver.
I'ma loosing the money on that, but you ara my frienda...