Cardinality and Four-Year-Olds

I will not argue about the cardinality of the integers with a four-year-old.
I will not argue about the cardinality of the integers with a four-year-old.
I will not argue about the cardinality of the integers with a four-year-old.
I will not argue about the cardinality of the integers with a four-year-old.
I will not argue about the cardinality of the integers with a four-year-old.
I will not argue about the cardinality of the integers with a four-year-old
...

Explanation: It is my belief that the number 10^100 was named a "google" for one reason and one reason only - to aid in early childhood development. Childhood often breaks down into arguments that are essentially over who knows the highest number. For example:

Child 1: When I grow up, I'm going to have a thousand dollars.
Child 2: Oh yeah? When I grow up, I'm going to have a hundred thousand dollars.
Child 1: Oh yeah? Well, When I grow up, I'm going to have a million dollars.
Child 2: Oh yeah? Well, when I grow up, I'm going to have a billion dollars!
Child 1: Oh yeah? Well, when I grow up, I'm going to have a google dollars.
Child 2 realizes that he/she can never top that and runs away crying.

If children believe that a google is the largest number there is, then it frees them up to stop playing "can you top this" and learn other skills that will be valuable in their adulthood. This is very important and saves years of wasted time from children's lives.

Of course, when you have a math degree and your four-year-old nephew tells you that "a google is the largest number there is, so I win", it takes everything in your power to just accept your defeat and go back to whatever you were doing. In fact, I can't just let this one go...

Dear four-year-olds of America:

10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,001.

I win. You lose. Also, when you're pretending to be Superman, you cannot also shoot spiderwebs out of your wrists. That's just not freakin' fair.

Love,
Uncle Jeremy's Status Message