Incan Counting System Decoded?

Discovery News ^ | Feb 3 2004 | By Rossella Lorenzi

[FoxInSocks]

[Gary Urton] was was also awarded a MacArthur "genius" grant.

De Pasquale seems to be the genius in this particular case -- perhaps he should get the grant.

[r9etb]

1001110011010110010101000110101010011000110

Of course! 4E6B2A354C6!!! Of course!!!!

[Bikers4Bush]

Big, they sacrificed all the little ones.

[Bikers4Bush]

Lol. I thought about going to the trouble of making it intelligible and then thought better of it.

[Walkingfeather]

.... system amongst the Incas is of some modest interest. I was struck by the use of the word "modest" it sounds a bit like academic jealously. but will take your word that he is a nice guy.

[JohnnyZ]

I was struck by the use of the word "modest" it sounds a bit like academic jealously.

I think GU's working on the assumption that although the Italian dude's system could work, it probably wasn't the way the Inca did things. I don't know the full grounds for why he came to that assumption, but I guess it's primarily grounded in the Base10 vs Base40 debate, which he seems very confident about.

[cinFLA]

Point noted. My mind is slow this morning!

[Agnes Heep]

Everyone knows that the only person who can make a judgment on something like this, is someone who has gone to university to study it.

Well, that's logical. But since I never studied logic at the University, I suppose I'm not qualified to give an opinion on the subject!

[js1138]

There ar 10 kinds of people: those who understand binary and those who don't.

[NotQuiteCricket]

It is OK. Sometimes I get these overwhelming urges of aggravation about the "establishment" and the "establishment's" unwillingness to consider that there is someone somewhere who, because of their experience and knowledge (that is outside of the "establishment") is able to see to the bottom of an issue quickly. For example the sphinx - that is water erosion, and there is no way that you can escape from the *fact* that it is water erosion...but since that *fact* will not fall in line with any of the "establishment's" current *theories* that *fact* is ignored.

Here is an example of a mathematician, who, because he grooves on math, figured out a math problem (with a fairly good probability of being correct). Well, since the people who study archaeology don't know math inside, outside, upside, downside, they sniff and poo-poo this guy's idea.

I would say that it all comes out in the wash - but stuff like this is very heavily decided on who is doing the laundry.

[NotQuiteCricket]

Well, since there are all sorts of ways that you can get at =4, that this guy found one way to use these stones doing base 40 doesn't mean that it is the original way.

I'd say that the person who wrote the article gave a slant that made the professor sound like an ass - if he is an ass or not in real life is a different issue.

Sometimes people with degrees make me see red, maybe I've got an inferiority complex that needs therapy.

[sd-joe]

Cool. The Inca's came up with "bean counters". And we thought it was a modern bureaucratic invention.

[sd-joe]

From the explanation of how to use the abacus, it looks like a base 10 device to me. Don't see no base 40 there.

[edsheppa]

OTOH, it sure as heck took a long time for ''superior cultures'' to decipher the Incan calculator.

Huge difference. Numerical and language systems are quite arbitrary. The wheel and other physical systems are not.

[JohnnyZ]

I'd say that the person who wrote the article gave a slant that made the professor sound like an ass - if he is an ass or not in real life is a different issue.

He's been at Hahvahd for . . . 2 years? now, so maybe they're rubbing off on him. Who knows?

Somehow, some way, the Inca calculated astronomical data to make calendars and had a fair understanding of ratios. There are also hints that they could handle factoring and large prime numbers.

Now I feel like going back and looking at that stuff. I just wish I had a real library near me . . . I'm not too confident in UNC-Charlotte and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public!

[cinFLA]

For example the sphinx - that is water erosion, and there is no way that you can escape from the *fact* that it is water erosion...

Either Discovery or the History Channel had a mention of this last week. They mention natural erosion; I don't remember whether they clarified as to wind or water.

[Consort]

For example the sphinx - that is water erosion,...

Acid rain?

[Thinkin' Gal]

"It took me about 40 minutes to solve the riddle. I am not an expert on pre-Columbian civilizations. I simply decoded a 16th century drawing from a book on mathematical enigmas I received as a Christmas present," engineer Nicolino De Pasquale said. <<<

Memo to self: Must party sometime with that guy. Wooo hooo!

Ohhh, you are being sarcastic. I saw that line and thought the same thing. Without the sarcasm. :-/ Anybody know what book this is?

According to De Pasquale, the circles in the cells are nothing but the first numbers of the Fibonacci series...

Oh dear. Those can get really hugh.

[Thinkin' Gal]

The Sphinx is facing its own image on the ground. That would be the one prostrating toward Mecca (why else would the Sphinx be sporting a kaffiyeh?).

The real question is, is the Hall of Records under a stone paw in Giza, or hidden near Kuwait, say on or about the 30th parallel? Hmmm?

[LivingNet]

1001110011010110010101000110101010011000110
Of course! 4E6B2A354C6!!! Of course!!!!

No fair. You added a zero to the front that was not there in the original.