If you live in a city, you'll probably end up memorizing the meanings of arbitrary numbers.

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• netvor@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

  If you live in a society, you’ll probably end up memorizing the meanings of arbitrary symbol sequences.

  I’m talking, of course, about place names, people’s names and … what’cha call’em … words.

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  • A_norny_mousse@feddit.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Agreed.

    Still, OP is making a good point.

    I sometimes try to imagine what it would be like to not be able to read. Esp. In an urban environment, as opposed to fields & forests. There’s just so much everywhere, signage, ads, displays…

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    • netvor@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      We sort of do, sometimes, at some point, “stop” reading.

      For example, I live in a city. My stop is served by about 5 different routes, but since I’m so close to center, the remaining part of the route is basically the same for 3 out of 5 of these. Most trips go to center though, the one that does not only goes once an hour, while the rest total up to maybe 25 per hour. (One of those takes significantly longer but would still get me there.)

      Initially I would read the signage, but eventually I don’t think I really need to, since in 99.9% of cases I can just see a big thing arriving and hop on it. That’s because I already have the context of where I am, what is the time and what kinds of trips are likely. Also, the 3 optimal routes are served by tram and 2 trolley buses, while the one “bad” route is served by a regular-sized bus and the one “sub-optimal” route is served by a long bus. So just by looking at the shape of thing is arriving (or listening to the sound it’s making) I can already make a really good guess if it’s ok for me.

      So my (kinda weak) point is in really common situations we kind of stop needing to look at (or even stop looking at) the numbers, although we would still remember them for other reasons.

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• NABDad@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  But those numbers aren’t arbitrary. There are reasons they are set, and there are reasons you would remember them.

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• SpookyLights@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

  I love memorizing arbitrary numbers! My ss number is one of my favorites! It’s 335-86-8144

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  • tkk13909@sopuli.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Mine is 982-34-4478!

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• bryndos@fedia.io ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  Wait 'til you find out about nouns.

  The arbitrary fuckers can be character strings as well as numbers.

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• abbiistabbii@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

  I mean you get that even if you don’t live in a city.

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• Kolanaki@pawb.social ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  I’m not sure you understand what “arbitrary” means.

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  • DeltaWingDragon@sh.itjust.works ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    They are not random, but what is the rationale?

    Suppose there exists a radio station, “WACD 902 AM, The Sturge”. The number represents the frequency of the radio wave in megahertz. Now why did they choose that specific frequency? Did they have a specific preference for that number? Or more likely, they just chose whatever was available.

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• SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

  Farmers wouldn’t do it all with highway and township numbers?

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  • A_norny_mousse@feddit.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    You’re not wrong but I’m kinda with OP here: it’s going to be much more in an urban or even town environment, as opposed to fields & forests.

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    • starlinguk@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      I don’t live in a city but I know all the train and bus numbers around here. Because in some countries you get public transport outside the big cities …

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    • SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

      Lol farmers would have to know more since they drive on countless highways.

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• NaibofTabr@infosec.pub ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

  0118999…

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  • SkyezOpen@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    725… 3

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  • Zier@fedia.io ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

    Is that the express bus route to the airport?

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    • DeltaWingDragon@sh.itjust.works ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      No, to the hospital

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• ilillilillilillililli@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

  I wish roads would make up their mind. Some routes have names and numbers. You end up having to memorize both (if you want to give/get directions from other humans).

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• railway692@piefed.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨month⁩ ago

  And phone area codes.

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• IWW4@lemmy.zip ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  …except transit routes and radio station numbers aren’t arbitrary.

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• HubertManne@piefed.social ⁨5⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  gotta say. jesse wells was played on XRT and it was so cool man.

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