How many fingers do Kerbals have? If not 10, then they don't count decimal.

[kerbalboy2000]

Hello fellow Kerbals....

I would just like to ask the question "How many fingers do Kerbals have," assuming that they always wear mittens/gloves in most pictures, except for Wernher von Kerman, who has visibly 4 fingers, 3 and a thumb... thus they probably count in Octo. (Base 8)

There will be a poll later of numbers, and you can also put some suggestion in this thread.

The purpose of this is for my conlang Kerbal languages in the IKLC, the International Kerbal Language Committee (started my wptheenah)

How do you close the poll? Seems like 4+4 is winning?

Assuming that Kerbals have 8 fingers:

<iframe src="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1HbE9xVvx0XVQGBm6TMwxyNrPC00L019Xm9GrkZiHln0/viewform?embedded=true" width="760" height="500" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0">Loading...</iframe>

What number system do they have in counting?

Edited January 25, 2014 by kerbalboy2000
(Counting with the thumb is really important in some language gestures and sign languages)

[jfull]

Edit: nevermind

[GDJ]

Well, technically we have 4 fingers and one thumb per hand.

[sal_vager]

Or they count up to 15 in binary on one hand

[SpaceSphereOfDeath]

Or they count up to 15 in binary on one hand

Nice, or 8 in uniary.

I believe the kerbals do have thumbs and more the 3 fingers, the only official picture of a kerbal with no gloves on would have to be In the kerbalkizer, some one go check

[zeppelinmage]

If the workers in the VAB are representative of Kerbalkind, then they're 4-fingered.

[Wahgineer]

If the workers in the VAB are representative of Kerbalkind, then they're 4-fingered.

http://i405.photobucket.com/albums/pp133/zeppelinmage/kerbal.png~original

Remember to count the thumb.

[sal_vager]

Three fingers and one thumb per hand

[Astronaut]

Go to the website and look at them in the kerbalizer, they have 3.

[Whirligig Girl]

They have four fingers but still count in 10s because, well, look at the altimeter. It's in metric. Or any instrument.

[Tery215]

Probbs evolved from 5+5 humanoids to have fewer fingers.

Because why not?

Edited January 25, 2014 by Tery215
Proper word usage

[zeppelinmage]

Remember to count the thumb.

I did. Three pictured "fingers" plus one "thumb" = four fingered.

In the same way humans are five-fingered.

[User Unrelated]

Maybe they have 10 toes?

That'd be a good enough explanation for me!

[Brotoro]

Their equipment displays indicate they use base 10.

[I_Killed_Jeb]

The Mayans I believe used a base 12 system despite their presumably 10-digited hands. I assume the Kerbals too could have unshackled themselves from their biological limits

[m4v]

They use base 10, just like their day is 24 hours long despite Kerbin's rotation period of 6 hours.

[ZingidyZongxxx]

Their equipment displays indicate they use base 10.

I like to think that their number systems are translated into Metric.

[MR4Y]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2525361/Forget-programmers--ancient-Polynesians-used-binary-trading-SIX-HUNDRED-years-ago.html

Nuff said.

[Luckless]

The popularity of base 10 is as much a fluke as it is practical. From what I remember of my history of mathematics, base 12 and 20 were actually more common before the spread of base 10 took off. Base 60 was also rather popular in rather early periods, and to this day some of its traits carry over and are used. (Ever think about why 60 is used so much in time rather than a more logical 100?)

Sure, matching the number of fingers/thumbs we have made it easier to teach which helped its popularity, but honestly base 12 or base 16 make a whole lot more sense when it comes to actual practicality due to the number of awkward fractions base 10 leaves you with.

[vexx32]

Well, actually, assuming their fingers are segmented in a similar way to our own, they could also count in base-12. Counting each of the three segments on each finger on one hand allows you to count up to 12. Base 12 also has significant mathematical advantages over any other system; there are a fair few proponents for changing our world to this "dozenal" system, as they call it.

[Robje]

Or they count up to 15 in binary on one hand

*like*

[CommandantAce]

Kerbals also count toes so base 16

[rkman]

If not 10, then they don't count decimal.

How so? Humans used 12-base for a long time in spite of having ten fingers.

(can count to 12 on one hand, using the thumb to count the total of 12 segments of the fingers).

[Rhidian]

Looking at the Steam trading card, that Kerbal has 3 fingers, 1 thumb, and only a single segment per each of those.

[Jimbo Jambo]

Well, actually, assuming their fingers are segmented in a similar way to our own, they could also count in base-12. Counting each of the three segments on each finger on one hand allows you to count up to 12. Base 12 also has significant mathematical advantages over any other system; there are a fair few proponents for changing our world to this "dozenal" system, as they call it.

Indeed, using this method they could even get the base 10 system we see with the four digits they have. Count to nine using the segments of the first three fingers then count the thumb as one.