I count on my fingers using this method:
-
No fingers = 0, assume all values are cumulative unless stated otherwise.
-
Start with index finger on Right hand:
- 1 = Index
- 2 = Middle
- 3 = Ring
- 4 = Pinky
- 5 = Thumb
- After five, clear hand and start from Thumb and go until 9 (Ring)
- 6 = Thumb
- 7 = Index … etc
- Double digits are counted on Left hand*, following same process as 1-3.
- For example: 13 would be:
- Left Hand: Index
- Right Hand: Index, Middle, Ring
- For something like 47 would be:
- Left Hand: Index, Middle, Ring, Pinky
- Right Hand: Thumb, Index
Using this method, the highest you can count to is 109:
- Left Hand: Thumb, Index, Middle, Ring, Pinky
- Right Hand: Thumb, Index, Middle, Ring
You could also probably differentiate 5 and 10 by half-raising your thumb for 5, and full raise for 6-10.
Bruh usually I just use 0-9 then use the “RAM” in my brain to store the tens-place digit lol
I do this but also store the tens in my toes.
Does American Sign Language count? I think 1000 is the first number that uses both hands. I haven’t used it in a really long time, so I could be completely wrong.
Then there’s japan where the kids get so good with an abacus they can go through the manipulation of an invisible abacus with one hand while keeping a mental picture of the abacus
0-F on each hand using the tip of the thumb on the joints and tips of the fingers, giving a total range of 0-FF. It’s a pain to decode to decimal so just use hex.
If I need to count higher than 25ish I need to use something better than my hands. I know I can use binary but it’s too much effort. I just count sets of five on one hand and the partial sets on the other.
I used ternary for a few days (which let’s you count to 59048 on two hands, 242 on one), but then realized I never needed to count that high, so reverted to binary (now, I can count to 1023 on two hands, 31 on one hand).
I follow asl style for the right hand:
1- pointer; 2- pointer and middle; 3- pointer, middle, and thumb; 4- everything but thumb; all five up; 6- thumb touching pinky; 7- thumb touching ring; 8- thumb touching middle; 9- thumb touching pointer; 10- fist
Then I use the left hand for 10s. So i can get up to 100
I can count to 26 on both hands. Each finger bone and both my thumbs.
