Shouldn't there be a way to answer those questions that start with "How much..." but have no possible answer?

Example: "How much do you love me?" (Just in time for Valentine's Day).
I usually answer something non-clever like "A quart," but my cynacism seems a bit out of place there.

I want UNITS, damn it!

Now I can say, "I love you 27 ums" or, to another question, perhaps I could say "I'll be done 12 ums from now"

Uh-oh, I see a problem here...
-- username, Feb 06 2004

Google Math http://www.google.c...ogy/pigeonrank.html
[theircompetitor, Oct 04 2004]

Gogol's Nose Is Missing http://news.bbc.co....ainment/2291483.stm
[theircompetitor, Oct 04 2004]

That didn't take long, did it? http://whatis.techt...9_gci822188,00.html
[theircompetitor, Oct 04 2004]

This is baked. There's an obscure branch of mathematics, called the Theory of Infinitesimability.

In this theory, you routinely use operators such as infinity/google, infinity/trillion infinity/billion etc.
-- theircompetitor, Feb 06 2004


measure it in lengths of string.

you just reminded me, my kids used to tell me they loved me in numbers i.e. I love you 47 to which you had to reply with a higher number.
-- po, Feb 06 2004


I sometimes split hairs for a living...you can tell the professionals from the hobbyists by their ability to acknowledge and quantify the amount of uncertainty in their measurements.

Reliability is rarely less than twice the discrimination....
-- normzone, Feb 06 2004


// I love you 47 to which you had to reply with a higher number //

unless they'd been really baaaad teletubbietes, [po]
-- jonthegeologist, Feb 06 2004


//The search engine, Google, was actually called Googol, until the venture capitalist who stumped up the cash for development made his cheque payable to "Google", necessitating a name change in order to bank the cheque.//

Right. I've also linked the latest intel on their search algorithm.

Their nearest competitor, Booble, goes after much larger numbers, of course.
-- theircompetitor, Feb 06 2004


Check out Gogol - funny 19th cent. Russian author.
-- Mungo, Feb 06 2004


Didn't he have a stuck up nose?
-- theircompetitor, Feb 06 2004


I suppose this would cover things like being able to offer somebody a smidgeon of ice cream in a jiffy.
-- robgraham2, Feb 06 2004


except that jiffies have at least occasional definitions
-- theircompetitor, Feb 06 2004


// Shouldn't there be a way to answer those questions that start with "How much..." but have no possible answer? //

Think about that a bit longer and then get back to us.
-- waugsqueke, Feb 06 2004


You could also use reference points instead of units:

Dear, I love you more than my secretary.

This implies that the amount of love for his spouse is *greater than* his love for his secretary.
Or, this could mean that he loves his wife more than his secretary loves his wife.
Either way, he wins by a landslide (or two).
-- 1st2know, Feb 06 2004


Yeah, but if she says, "How big does my bum look in this?"
-- FarmerJohn, Feb 07 2004


42
-- 1st2know, Feb 07 2004


After checking my last anno for spelling, grammar and style, I realized that this answer, even though technically correct per Douglas Adams, would start a 3 day long argument. I'll say 4ish.
-- 1st2know, Feb 07 2004


[tsuka] I've checked your math, and your slightly off.The answer should be:

Pretend not to hear, then go out for *42* pints.


Quickly.
-- 1st2know, Feb 07 2004


[waugsqueke] I have thought about it, and now I am getting back to you. Any other orders?

//then get back to us// Are there more than one of you?
-- username, Feb 09 2004


pat, isn't this why we have logorithms, exponents, and decibels, and the such already?
-- RayfordSteele, Feb 10 2004



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