this post was submitted on 17 Jan 2026
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You can count past 1,000 on your fingers by using binary, instead of just 10 (www.mathsisfun.com)
submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by sixty@sh.itjust.works to c/lifeprotips@lemmy.world
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YSK You can count past 1,000 on your fingers by using binary, instead of just 10

With just one hand, you can count to 31, and with both hands you can reach a whopping 1,023. This is because the placement of the held up fingers matters, rather than the amount.

It can be very useful in everyday use, being able to count to huge numbers when you don't have your phone or pen and paper nearby.

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[–] teft@piefed.social 3 points 3 months ago (2 children)

I count mine in base 12. 1-12 on each knuckle segment of my right hand and multiples of twelve on my left. I can get up to 144.

[–] m0darn@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 months ago

You could use left hand finger binary for multiples of twelve

Thumb=12

Index=24

Middle=48

Ring=96

Pinky=192

Then all your fingers would be like 384

[–] adespoton@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 months ago

You could also use the 3 segment method to do matrix math in binary :D

[–] adespoton@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I taught my kids to count in binary on their fingers before I taught them base 10.

Having that skill also makes base conversion relatively simple because base 10 is intrinsically understood to be a way of expressing quantity instead of the literal truth about that quantity.

[–] nymnympseudonym@piefed.social 0 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Would subscribe to your YT channel for tips

[–] adespoton@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 months ago

You’d probably enjoy my yt channel, but it doesn’t contain tips :)