-=Dark_Angel=-, P.I.13 Nov 2004

1. "1.21 is 1.21 regardless of anybody's phrasing of it." An astounding insight. But "one point twenty-one" is not the same as "1.21", as you will see if you manage to understand the following:

You are doubtless familiar with binary or hexadecimal arithmetic, or at least the concept of using bases other than 10. Let's use base 35, where digits above 9 are written using letters A - Z. Then how is the following pronounced?

1.L

The answer is "One point L", or "One point twenty-one", since the value of L is 21. In base 10, this evalutes to 1 + (21 / 35) = 1.6.

Still in base 35, how is the following pronounced?

1.21

The answer is "One point two one". In base 10, this evaluates to 1 + (2 / 35) + (1 / 1225) ~= 1.058. Not at all the same as "One point twenty-one".

I bet you still don't get it. Then think about this. What is the value of "one point a million"? Is it the same as "one point ten" or "one point one"? No. And only a massive thicky could possibly think otherwise.

2. The unit is a Jigawatt. 1.21 gigawatts is a paltry amount, much less than the amount of power delivered by a lightning bolt.