Binary numbering and how to teach a moron

[Peter Taylor]

BigWallop wrote

Great thread BigWallop! I bet the penny will drop one day :o)

Just a thought. Is it really necessary to tell him the decimal numbers at this stage? He might understand it better to begin with if you converted the decimal numbers and just give him the "appearance" of the equivalent binary numbers, maybe even in words to start with e.g. Reception = Ten Office = One hundred and eleven Kitchen = Eleven thousand, one hundred and one etc

If he grasps how to set up the heads like that he will pretty soon be able to change from words to numbers and after that it's just one small step to getting him to work out the numbers himself.

[Dee]

Have you tried asking the other engineers how they learnt the system. If the teacher/pupil link is not working can you use another teacher?

AndyP

[usenet]

That's eleven, you've got two 0's. :-)

[Phil]

I think the problem here is not that he does not understand binary - it's that he does not understand how decimal works either. You need to understand *how* the number system works - and it's the same for binary, hexadecimal, octal, decimal etc.

It's hard to explain a teaching method, but start with *decimal* - THE KEY IS UNDERSTANDING POSITION OR PLACE in our number system - so, in base 10, 1446 really means:

10 X 10 X 10 **** 10 X 10 **** 10 *** 10/10 *** 1 4 4 6

Ask him what "1446" *really* means.

Using the same principle for base 2, 27 really is:

2 X 2 X 2 X 2 *** 2 X 2 X 2 *** 2 X 2 *** 2 *** 2/2 1 1 0 1 1

The real fun is long division.....

-- Phil

[BigWallop]

The drawing he works from are marked in decimal numbers, it's when he comes to translating the decimal number on the drawing to the binary switch array in the detector head to tell the control panel which head has detected.

If it could be done in decimal inside the detector head then I don't think he'd have a problem. And I think this is what he's trying to do after having a look at the work he's done today. He had the binary layout drawn on the back of his hand and he's still got it wrong.

[BigWallop]

It's because everyone else has tried to teach him that he's now under my wing. After looking at the job he had today with eleven detector heads and the binary layout drawn on the back of his hand, he's still got the system marked out in decimal numbering. Eleven detector heads marked from 1 to 11 should only use the first four switches on the DIP switches, but he has them using all the switches again.

This is how he done,

Number one detector = sw 1 on the head Two = sw 2 on the head Three = sw 3 on the head Four = sw 4 on the head And so on.

So when I went to commission the system, the heads were numbered 1, 2, 4, 8,

16, 32, 64, 128, 129, 130, 131. Because as he says, 8+1=9, 8+2=10, 8+3=11, which is still right back to what he has been doing from the very start and what I'm trying to get him not to do.

The control panel still works with the numbering this, that is well and good, but the drawings showing the detector head placement works in decimal to make it easier for people to understand in case they have to check the area in time of activation.

Now, the detector makers have made it binary numbering because of the amount of decimal numbers which can be translated using only eight or ten switches in the detector heads. But if I leave the lad doing these jobs, then he will totally confuse everyone when all the drawing have to be altered and the people start wondering why the panel is showing 131 detector heads when they can only find eleven.

He's coming with tomorrow on the biggest job we have running at the moment, and he is going to set all the detectors heads properly and do the final fix into the base holder. So if he gets it wrong when I'm leaning over his shoulder to check, then I'm afraid he's outta' there quicker than he can say base two. :-))

[Richard Savage]

"nightjar

Punched cards?

Richard

[Owain]

"BigWallop" wrote | It's because everyone else has tried to teach him that he's now under my | wing. After looking at the job he had today with eleven detector heads | and the binary layout drawn on the back of his hand, he's still got the | system marked out in decimal numbering. Eleven detector heads marked | from 1 to 11 should only use the first four switches on the DIP switches, | but he has them using all the switches again. | This is how he done, | Number one detector = sw 1 on the head | Two = sw 2 on the head | Three = sw 3 on the head | Four = sw 4 on the head | And so on.

Ah! Well, that's perfectly logical. Wrong, but perfectly logical.

| So when I went to commission the system, the heads were numbered 1, 2, 4, | 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 129, 130, 131. Because as he says, 8+1=9, 8+2=10, | 8+3=11, which is still right back to what he has been doing from the very | start and what I'm trying to get him not to do.

He's confusing switch number with arithmetic value.

Perhaps one of the Clever People who generated the crib-sheets could generate a look-up as

Detec. Switches Number On

1 1 2 2 3 1,2 4 3 5 3,1 6 3,2 7 3,2,1 8 4 9 4,1 10 4,2 11 4,2,1 12 4,3 13 4,3,1 (etc, and check for my errors)

Then he doesn't have to do anything arithmetical in base10 or base2 (in fact he forgets arithmetic even exists, as if he tries to work it out he'll set switch 3 for dec3 instead of switches 1,2) and it doesn't even matter if the switches are numbered from left-right or right-left. Provided switch number 1 is indicated this should work for any dip switch style.

Owain

[Witchy]

I hope he hasn't got a runny nose 'cos one careless wipe with the hand and that's his crib sheet gone :)

cheers

witchy/binarydinosaurs

[BigWallop]

The only thing that is really worrying me now, is the fact that he still had the drawing on the back of his hand. I drew it on with ink and laid it out in columns with the decimal number and the switch sequence to tell him which switches should have been set to on. Then he tells me that " I " got it wrong and that when switch 3 (4dec) and 2 (2dec) are on, the number of the head would only be 5 instead of 6 as I had written it on his hand, so he changed it round to suit. :-))

Aaaaarrrrrggghhhh !!!!!

What am I gonna' do with this guy ? :-))

[Owain]

"BigWallop" wrote | "Owain" wrote | > He's confusing switch number with arithmetic value. | > Perhaps one of the Clever People who generated the crib-sheets could | > generate a look-up as | > Detec. Switches | > Number On | > 1 1 | > 2 2 | > 3 1,2 | > 4 3

| The only thing that is really worrying me now, is the fact that he still had | the drawing on the back of his hand. I drew it on with ink and laid it out | in columns with the decimal number and the switch sequence to tell him which | switches should have been set to on. Then he tells me that " I " got it | wrong and that when switch 3 (4dec) and 2 (2dec) are on, the number of the | head would only be 5 instead of 6 as I had written it on his hand, so he | changed it round to suit. :-))

Well, he's trying. (Oh, you agree!)

Tell him to do what he's told and stop thinking about it. (And tell us what happens then...)

Owain

[BigWallop]

That's it !!! You've hit the nail on the head. Just tell him not to do the thinking and just do what he's told. Why couldn't I think of that ? :-)) It might just work.

[Rick Dipper]

We count in 10's cause we have 10 fingers. If he wants to count in ones chop 9 off.

Rick

[Peter Taylor]

"BigWallop" wrote

Promote him? He seems classic management material

[Gnube]

Yeah, that'll be right then! :O)

Take Care, Gnube {too thick for linux}

[Gnube]

We've only got their word for it that they came out right haven't we? ;O)

Take Care, Gnube {too thick for linux}

[Gnube]

Maybe a binary abacus?

Sheesh, this is a toughie in some ways!

Take Care, Gnube {too thick for linux}

[Witchy]

Only if he's got 2 clumps of pointy hair :)

/dilbert

[BigWallop]

ROFL !!!

Good idea. And he does have spikey hair. Would that count ?

And, is Dilbert still on the go ? I remember that from the seventies when IT departments and open plan offices were first introduced. :-))

[BigWallop]

ROFL !!!

I'd have to leave him with his right middle finger 'cause I've noticed he's always got it in his right ear when he's thinking up excuses on why he got it wrong. Or is this the problem ? :-))