Thursday, 20 December 2012

Thoughts of a Home Educated Seven Year Old

"Mommy, I've been thinking, what if there was a man called John and he had a son, he might call him John too. Then that man could be called John's son and then people might start to call him Johnson, and then maybe he would call one of his children John and people would call him Johnson's son, John; or instead, they might call him John Johnson..."

"Yes baby, I think that's how surname's like that started."

"Really? Wow, me and my big brain!"

***

"What's the biggest number in the Universe mommy?"

"Well, I don't think anyone knows baby because the numbers just go on and on and on and never stop and no one of us can even think in a number that big."

"What???"

"Yes baby, there are numbers everywhere, in everything, at every level and they just go on and on and on..."

"What, like in that bump there?"

"Yep"

"And in that pot of glitter?"

"Yep"

"And in all the glitter in the world?"

"Yep"

"Well, that's strange and weird."

***

"Do you know how much I love you baby?"

"Yes mommy, you love me a million, billion, trillion, gazillion, billion, million, thousillion..."

"Yes baby, I love you that much + all the numbers in the universe."

"Ooh no, you better not mommy!"

"Why's that baby?"

"Well, what about all the negative numbers mommy? They'd be taking all the love away, wouldn't they?"

***
Posted by at 15:21
Labels: , , , ,

6 comments:

  1. How wonderful the mind of a child is. What a smart little cookie you habe. A google is a very big number.....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Yes, Angela, how wonderful it is to be able to borrow their fresh perspective on everything.

      And certainly, when we google some topics the results returned seem endless :-)

      Delete

  2. Marvellous!

    Just as an interesting aside, there is a theoretical number that is the largest known number and is in the Guinness World Records. It's called Graham's number and it's so large the known universe is too small to contain it if it was to be written down with all the zeros needed. I watched a documentary about maths some time ago that was discussing the concept of infinity. Don't ask me how there can be a largest known number... surely you can always just add one? It's one of those quirks of maths, and apparently mathematicians can only express the number in some complex formula. I dunno... maths is way above my head!

    aNonyMous @ Radical Ramblings

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Interesting aNony, and I'm also glad I don't have to deal with that level of abstraction!

      As it is, I'm always more interested in the unknown, the possibilities, the perhaps's... the place where math meets art. And, in my experience, it's in there that most of us will discover our own passion for maths. If I'd had fewer already-worked-out-by-someone-else formulae to learn and a little more of the mystery of math offered to me as a child maybe I'd have continued loving it past the age of 11.

      Sure, some mathheads would call me a heathen of sorts but I can live with that :-)

      D'you know, we haven't got a copy of the Guinness World Records Book, it's certainly something I'll need to think about getting as Cupcake loves that style of book. Thanks for reminding me of its topic scope.

      Delete

  3. One of my little guys asked a similar question and it came to me to say he already knew how to count to the biggest number which was one- there's one universe, and one is in every other number - everything was based on one! That satisfied him for now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies


    1. Thanks for reading Dean. I like your explanation too - reassuring and encouraging.

      Delete

Thanks for reading and commenting. I appreciate your time and attention. Leave your contact details if you'd like a personal reply.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)