• grue@lemmy.world
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    3 hours ago

    This should’ve been two sentences, max:

    Fact check: Is Mamdani introducing Arabic numerals to New York schools?

    False. New York schools have used Arabic numerals for centuries because that’s what “1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0” are, dumbass!

  • count_dongulus@lemmy.world
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    3 hours ago

    These opinion pieces really need to focus on more important messages. They ought to literally read:

    “If you understand 1, 2, and 3, you use Arabic numerals. Who told you New York’s mayor was introducing ‘Arabic numerals’? They did this to scare you. They are trying to manipulate you. They think you are stupid, and that they can control you. Block them.”

  • dylanmorgan@slrpnk.net
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    2 hours ago

    If I was the Newsweek editor who had to shepherd this article through publication, I’d probably be dead of alcohol poisoning.

    • 🍉 Albert 🍉@lemmy.world
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      3 hours ago

      there was someone on Grindr telling insinuating me that they had a price. I asked them to tell me in Arabic numerals. then they Google translated it to spelling it in Arabic.

      American sorely needs to invest in education.

    • Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world
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      5 hours ago

      They can, they are, and it’s not the lowest they can go.

      Here. Eat a tidepod. Maybe you’re just hungry.

      • Zorque@lemmy.world
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        3 hours ago

        Is the stupidity that people were eating tidepods… or that they were tricked into thinking eating tidepods was actually trend when it was just a few individuals?

          • Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works
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            3 hours ago

            It was like two different things. Small children were accidentally eating laundry pods because they look like candy and the packaging was poorly designed. Teenagers creating memes because it was hilarious boomer media was falling for it.

    • nate3d@lemmy.world
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      4 hours ago

      Think about how stupid the average person is, then realize half of them are dumber than that.

      • George Carlin
    • aberrate_junior_beatnik (he/him)@midwest.social
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      4 hours ago

      This article cites two X posts and makes vague assertions that “The claim caused a stir online, with some X users condemning Mamdani.” How much of a stir, how many users, and how many of them were criticizing Mamdani for the topic at hand is unclear.

      I doubt many people were taken in (though I’m not surprised to see a west virginia lawmaker involved, state legislators are truly the dregs of our society), and I think Newsweek mostly made this up.

    • foodandart@lemmy.zip
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      4 hours ago

      Oh yeah… I mentioned this one a few days ago, as my husband’s co-workers brought it up…

      People can be that reactionary when they don’t know shit.

    • dhork@lemmy.world
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      5 hours ago

      Not only are people this stupid, but those people have a vote, too. (At least if they are citizens)

    • elbucho@lemmy.world
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      4 hours ago

      I used to hope that, but these last couple of decades have brutally beten such optimism out of me.

  • Deebster@infosec.pub
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    4 hours ago

    They’re called “Arabic numerals” because the system was transmitted to Europe through medieval Arabic scholars, but they are universal

    Funny thing is the Indo-Arabic/Hindu-Arabic numerals aren’t the only ones used in Arabic-speaking countries. I’ve seen prices like ٣٥٠ (350) in places like Jordan and Egypt. Here’s a chart:

    A table showing 0-9 in Arabic-Indic, Eastern Arabic-Indic (Persian and Urdu), Devanagari (Hindi) and Tamil

    I would say the familiar 0-9 system is understood globally, but I don’t know about those Alpha Centaurians.

  • shalafi@lemmy.world
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    5 hours ago

    Teachers need to make up a permission form to teach Arabic numbers. Then put those kids to learning Roman Numerals.