The things you learn on LJ... It would never have occurred to me that different cultures used different methods of counting on their fingers. Nor, for that matter, could I have said how I did it without actually doing it.
Unless the experiment has been spoiled by some Heisenberg-like principle*, though, I do count starting with my pinky. In fact, I find it very awkward to do otherwise. Usually to start at one end and wrap around to count more than five items, using one hand (why would you need fingers to count fewer than five?).
*After writing the above, I realized that maybe I didn't know what the Heisenberg principle was. Turns out I didn't. I meant the observer effect, though it really should have a cooler name. At least it's s common error. The things you learn on Wikipedia...
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momijizukamori
no subject
Date: 2006-06-06 09:36 pm (UTC)Unless the experiment has been spoiled by some Heisenberg-like principle*, though, I do count starting with my pinky. In fact, I find it very awkward to do otherwise. Usually to start at one end and wrap around to count more than five items, using one hand (why would you need fingers to count fewer than five?).
*After writing the above, I realized that maybe I didn't know what the Heisenberg principle was. Turns out I didn't. I meant the observer effect, though it really should have a cooler name. At least it's s common error. The things you learn on Wikipedia...