What is it? Game 69

Why does this story remind me of the "discovery" of the Tassaday, a stone age tribe in the Philippines? Remember how authentic they turned out to be?

No numbers greater than five? Wow! How do they manage in the jungle with only half the usual supply of fingers and toes?

Wow, so monkeys are smarter than this tribe of humans!

So they wont be developing a computer chip industry in the near future

"No numbers greater than five? Wow! How do they manage in the jungle with only half the usual supply of fingers and toes?"

The desired knowledge comes from -- get this -- reading the damned article.

Wes, ha!

Wes, I did read the damned article. I was being sarcastic.

I just find it hard to believe there are any more truly untouched tribes in the wilds of anywhere. Supposedly the Tasaday had no word for blue. A color they never encountered despite being able to see the sky. These people supposedly went undiscovered until 1970, living in a cave a three hour hike from town.

I am not surprised that there are cultures that see things differently. That is normal. Pick up a bible. ever wonder why 40 keeps showing in days of rain and years in the wilderness? Or Methusela living 900 years?
They were the preliterate middle easterners' descriptions of a "shiteload." But to not pick up on base ten?
Pierre Pica's reluctance to discuss specific facts and figures in the article almost screams "Kippendorf's Tribe" to me.

In all fairness, I must admit, I do know of Pierre Pica's work, and the issue of numeracy and numerical perception is really quite interesting.

And the Munduruku have been living peacefully within Brazil since their last makor tribal wars in about 1800.

Maybe of the article linked originated somewhere besides that paragon of journalism, The Guardian, it would have been easier to buy

So the anthropologist spent ten years with the Munduruku, but they said it felt more like five?

Over 5- it is- long / many / much / plenty / ...

Instead of our frantic measuring, pacing, dividing...

Ah what bliss---

Hmm... Best check the date on that article...

They must have an interesting calendar. 5 days in a week, 5 weeks in a month, 5 months in a year, and after 5 years the world ends.

Jason that's just the point- They don't have a calender or clock- they live in the here and now, with only general non-specified past beyond a few days and general non-specified future beyond a fwe days or just as many seasons. That is specific enough for them.

There is no beginnig, there is no end........

That's very interesting.

For whatever reason, this reminds me of how our brain is hardwired to overestimate angle of inclination, probably so we don't try to climb steep hills.

So, it seems that the ability to count more than 5 isn't particularly important in evolution, but the ability to discourage oneself from climbing steep hills was (yes, I know that's not how evolution works, so no hate mails, mmkay?)