[HN Gopher] Why Did Thomas Harriot Invent Binary?
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       Why Did Thomas Harriot Invent Binary?
        
       Author : nanna
       Score  : 51 points
       Date   : 2023-04-22 05:58 UTC (17 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (link.springer.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (link.springer.com)
        
       | smitty1e wrote:
       | Vinary?
        
       | breck wrote:
       | Fascinating! I was unaware of Thomas Harriot.
       | 
       | If you're interested in Leibniz and his invention of binary, I
       | highly recommend Wolfram's post on that:
       | https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2013/05/dropping-in-on-g...
       | 
       | I have a project on the backburner to create a "Handwriting
       | Simulator", that you could give a task/equation to, and have it
       | generate animations of performing that calculation as a human
       | would with a pen and paper according to a named writing system
       | (binary, roman numerals, hindu-arabic, et cetera). I would like
       | to compare and contrast the efficiency of handwriting systems,
       | and perhaps explore if there are some potential new ones yet to
       | be invented. I've come full circle to the opinion that I've been
       | undervaluing 2D handwritten notations as tools for thought. If
       | anyone has any pointers I'd appreciate it! This reminds me of
       | that, because I'd expect binary notation by hand to be extremely
       | inefficient compared to other systems, so there was little/no
       | value for it until logic machines.
        
       | [deleted]
        
       | wslh wrote:
       | The quest for the root and archeology of ideas and applications
       | is fascinating.
       | 
       | With all due respect with well known scientists like Leibniz, the
       | distribution of your ideas was and remains to be key to be named.
       | It is always nice to keep searching for prior influences and
       | inventions.
        
         | thriftwy wrote:
         | Unless people are willing to forge "unpublished manuscripts" to
         | gain priority. Need to be careful with that stuff - even when
         | those are legit, the fact that they were not published
         | immensely increases the complexity of priority. Imagine some
         | goat herder invented binary in 4000 BC without telling anybody.
        
       | sublinear wrote:
       | https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_multiplication
       | 
       | "Ancient Egyptian multiplication" is also worth mentioning if
       | slightly off topic.
        
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