T W A U ... The Chase....today's Gem.....

[ToraToraTora]

In binary, 1 - 1 - 1 represents what decimal number?

A: 7  B: 9  C: 11

answer....B !  🤣

[Old_Geezer]

The host thought c) 11

[ToraToraTora]

a one a two and a four, aint rocket is it?

[Old_Geezer]

No. Rocket is 

5... 4... 3... 2... 1...

At least it was on Thunderbirds.

[THECORBYLOON]

It's not as if folk aren't thinking about binary conversions every five minute is it?

[zebo]

I thought binary was to do with being boys or girls!

[barry1010]

This isn't really an obvious answer.  People who left school before the mid 60s weren't taught binary mathematics and it wasn't taught in maths class after the late 70s, early 80s. It was restricted to 'computer studies' or 'computer science'.

Those with no interest in computers would have no reason to know it unless they were at school during the mid 60s to late 70s. 

[bhg481]

//People who left school before the mid 60s weren't taught binary mathematics//

They were, however, taught base 12 and base 20 arithmetic to allow them to add columns of LSD currency, not to mention base 14 and base 16 for weights in the imperial system; it just wasn't given a fancy name.

There are 10 types of people in this world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

[DDIL]

Well I don't remember being taught binary and have never been asked to use it in the 30odd years since I have left school so I can see why the person guessed.

[straydog]

Well I don't even understand the question.  I'm like Zebo here.
At the risk of being ridiculed then what is the answer and why please?

(FYI I left the state grammar school system in 1966 and yes, I did get my Maths O level!)

[ToraToraTora]

bhg: "There are 10 types of people in this world, those who understand binary and those who don't." - yep that's the classic one liner.

[davebro3]

//Each digit in a binary number represents a power of 2. From right to left, these are 2^0, 2^1, and 2^2, which are 1, 2, and 4, respectively. Adding the corresponding values for each '1' in the binary number (4 + 2 + 1 = 7) gives the decimal equivalent. //

I looked it up!

[ToraToraTora]

straydog:"(FYI I left the state grammar school system in 1966 and yes, I did get my Maths O level!)" - then you must know binary. Anyway normally we count in base 10 so in base 10 111 = 1 unit, 1 ten, and 1 hundred = right? (1,10,100,1000,10000 etc

in binary the colums are 1 unit, 1 two and 1 four (1,2,4,18,16,32...etc)

so 1+2+4 = 7

[straydog]

TTT.  Thank you for the explanation.

However, I know what I know, or don't know and I can assure you that I don't know binary.

[ToraToraTora]

Then your O level missed a bit.

[barry1010]

Stray dog, your grammar school probably had not adopted 'new mathematics' as it was called when you left school. I doubt it's hindered you, the system was dropped within 15 years

[davebro3]

I did O levels in 1963 - binary wasn't on the curriculum. Folks know about stuff from school they use regularly, the rest largely gets forgotten. IMV

[bhg481]

In 1966 there weren't enough computers around to warrant learning binary. I certainly didn't learn it at A level in 1963.

[Massey65]

I did O Level Maths but we did not do binary (1976).