The Power of Zero: Give or Take a Few
I've never been good at numbers. Especially those which have a long trail of zeros running after them trying to keep pace.
I can count up to 10 on my fingers. And I believe I can count up to 1000 in my mind. But anything beyond that, you lose me.
Which is probably why I just don't get these numbers and how on earth they are supposed to make sense.
This is what we are spending forthe War for Oil the War in Iraq.
And then, this is what we are spending for making the Nation free from the suffering and death due to Cancer by 2015.
500 Billion for a War. 5 Billion for Cancer Research. What's the difference? Just a few zeros trying to keep pace.
Didn't I tell you that you'd lose me after 1000?
I can count up to 10 on my fingers. And I believe I can count up to 1000 in my mind. But anything beyond that, you lose me.
Which is probably why I just don't get these numbers and how on earth they are supposed to make sense.
This is what we are spending for
And then, this is what we are spending for making the Nation free from the suffering and death due to Cancer by 2015.
500 Billion for a War. 5 Billion for Cancer Research. What's the difference? Just a few zeros trying to keep pace.
Didn't I tell you that you'd lose me after 1000?
posted by M (tread softly upon) at 11:22 AM
21 Comments:
To quote a certain Monomohon Mitra only, contradiction na holey aabar shobhyota?.
a few zeroes..but a huge difference..if only the people who ran the show understood the importance of that..
Actually, not much of a difference, like a wick's flame and a forest conflagration. :-)
Jus wondering, is Cancer Iraq's way of getting back, in a weird indirect way? OMG, and they dont even realise!
might is RIGHT !!!!
- Bonatellis
It is always difficult as a writer to express deep, meaningful ideas/thoughts in a succinct manner. This post of yours is probably one of your very best.
Can we really cure cancer by 2015?
it's all about trying to solve the world's population problem, don't you see?
Pure Selfishness.
thats whats running the world right now unfortunately.
You must be a happy happy person! :)
Yep. Now I am back :-) Good to see you again. I find myself unable to blog when my life's uncertainties get to weigh me down too much. Now I think I've cut them down to manageable levels. How are you?
Btw, my dad asked me as a young boy whom he saw as overly materialistic "Do you think you'd ever be happy with any amount of money!" I said that I would, but needed time to come up with a def number. A gulfstream 4 and 3 villas and a few cars later, I came up with a number. 6.24 billion dollars. American. But of course. My dad was relieved that I had at least some def number in mind when the rat race would end ;-)
chilling, isn't it?
If this doesn't put things in perspective, what will? Are we so far removed from reality that even cold numbers don't do it for us anymore?
It is truly scary, to say the least.
@ r.i.m. but of course :)
@ little miss muffet may be they do but choose to ignore it. Isn't that scarier?
@ eroteme :)
@ shirsha you mean like a curse of sorts?
@ bonatellis :) so you are still around, huh?
@ aruba well thank you. Some facts do not need elaboration. But honestly brevity has never been my forte :)
@ teardrop well cure is still light years away. They are trying to take away the suffering and prolong life by 2015.
@ t.r. puhleeze!
@ grafxgurl unfortunately so.
@ a.g.s. :)
@ ubergeek nice to see you again. You have a gulfstream 4?!!! Now you've got me listening :)
@ bidisha and look who has internet now :)
@ megha numbers have been around long enough. But the research funding keeps getting smaller every year.
see, the equation is like this. you kill people with 500 bln effort. so those people will not die with cancer. so all the fund is actually going for cancer reaserch. simple.
your posts like a rude shock an jolting one and all into reality....yups....so called we social animals spend more on making way to the graveyard than in making sure that the coming generation is safe n sound.
That is why we are in the so called noble profession.We don't deal with a lot of numbers, definitely not beyond a 1000 cc at at time anyway.. :))
@ ghetufool touché :)
@ ashmi it is so nice to see you back again.
@ educatedunemployed I guess that is exactly why I could never make it in any other profession :)
cancer er 5 billion esche welfare state er jonno activism er jonno..not rants, but activism.
oi 500 theke 5 e taka shoriye anteo activism chai, rant na.
ashar kotha activism achhe, jader rant kom.
"We" are spening on war and cancer treatment? WE ??
I notice that you’re will be in all honesty enthusiastic about like.Crimp Beads
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