Round numbers

Finally made it to 300km. A nice, round number. Not sure what it is about round numbers, but they seem to mean something to me. Not just round numbers. Also special ones, like 0.453, 3.14159. But especially round ones. I wonder why?

Is this an innate tendency like our concept of female beauty? You know, the thing in our brain that makes us care about round faces with large eyes and small noses, whether they are babies or babes. I can get the evolutionary benefit of this genetic imprinting; it generates affection for babies so that we take care of them the moment they are born. The concept of female beauty is simply a side-effect. But what is the benefit of liking round numbers?

Naturally, I am back with the Munduruku. You see, one of the points made by the Amazon-dwelling Frenchman who studies the innate concepts of numbers was that from an evolutionary perspective, ratios are more important than counting. For survival sake grasping that 5 lionesses are more dangerous than 1 is much more important than knowing that 56 lionesses are more dangerous than 40. Although the difference in number of lionesses is much greater in the later case, the difference in the former is much greater in terms of likelihood of survival. You see, I can take on 1 lioness single handedly. 5 is a different matter all together.

So, I am wondering, if it doesn't matter if I am being stampeded by 298 or 301 wildebeests, I might as well call it a cool, round 300. And 300 is, truly, a good-looking number. Especially if you think of it in terms of kilometres. 700km is even nicer. And a cool 1,000km is, by anyone's count truly beautiful. Will take me a while though.

Have a good weekend.
J