Friday, January 25, 2008

Experiment: Number Shape

Here is another simple informal experiment, this time on number shape. Please post your responses to the following question (take no more than a few seconds to answer, I'm most interested in instinctive responses):
Which of the shapes is 39 and which is 51?

42 Comments:

Blogger Peter said...

51 is on the right for me

3:01 PM  
Blogger Carolyn said...

I think that the pointy shape is 51 and the curvy shape is 39. Because 51 looks like a pointy number and 39 looks like a curvy number.

3:12 PM  
Blogger caress said...

left is 51, right is 39

3:56 PM  
Anonymous George said...

51 is left, 39 is right to me.

4:13 PM  
Blogger aid said...

My mind does not work like that...

4:22 PM  
Blogger cello8 said...

I say that 39 is rounded and smooth and 51 is very pointy. No reason other that a gut feeling about the two numbers.

4:33 PM  
Blogger Maxim said...

They were originally Kiki and Booba, AFAIK. Is it from here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl2LwnaUA-k
?

Well, as to me, the left one is definitely 39, and the right one is 51.

4:40 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

left: 51
right: 39
but I thik this depends on how the numbers are written. The left one could aso mean "NKK" and the right one "OGG"

Andi

4:52 PM  
Blogger Adam Riggall said...

51 on the left here.

5:28 PM  
Blogger caroline said...

51 is the pointy one, and that's why I liked it better! :-)

5:38 PM  
Blogger Reading Teacher said...

51 is the points, 39 is the curves

5:50 PM  
Blogger Willis Carrier said...

Left = 51
Right = 39
gut reaction.

6:26 PM  
Blogger steve in maine said...

I'm with Carolyn and Caress - the star is 51 'cause of the sharp edges, and the ameoba-thingy is 39. Plus, I like 3 and 9 more than 5 and 1, so I connect them with the more friendly shape.

6:31 PM  
Blogger Eileen (aka Mamaroo) said...

51 on the left and 39 on the right

6:51 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Left is 51, right is 39, I agree w/ Carolyn as to why.

7:16 PM  
Anonymous RichC said...

Same for me ... 51 on left and 39 on right.

8:40 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

left is 51, right 39

9:33 PM  
Blogger kalle said...

51 <- -> 39

9:33 PM  
Blogger jamin said...

I see the pointy one on the left as 39 and the shape on the right as 51.

10:24 PM  
Blogger ZéMoa said...

51 is the right one.
ZeMoa, from Brazil

1:03 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

right = 51

1:17 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

51 is on the right for me also.

1:58 AM  
Anonymous Gezzius said...

39 is the round shape on the right. 51 is the one on the left.

4:58 AM  
Blogger Kettil said...

I felt that both alternatives can be justified, but 51 was initially percieved as more rounded.

9:31 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The one on the right is 39.

1:25 PM  
Blogger David Orban said...

39 on the right

7:53 PM  
Anonymous matt_poland said...

left is 39 right is 51 (although for me 52 would fit better to soft round shape). All the best from Poland!

8:55 PM  
Anonymous Bożena said...

39 is the right , 51- left

8:56 PM  
Blogger Johan said...

left 51
right 39

11:01 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

star is 51 and curvy is 39

12:33 AM  
Blogger Eric Dawson said...

51 left.
but other than angularity and softness/roundness of the written numbers I don't recognize the association.

4:07 AM  
Anonymous Tractor Girl said...

51 was the spiky one, 39 was fluffy one

7:58 AM  
Blogger Carl said...

39 spiked shape, 51 rounded

4:10 PM  
Blogger Bonnie said...

51 is on the left and 39 is on the right.

5:02 PM  
Blogger marie said...

Re - bonjour,

Je dirais 51 pour la forme de droite et 39 pour celle de gauche.

5:45 PM  
Anonymous dam said...

Thirty Nine is rounded 51 is spikey

7:20 PM  
Blogger Brian Vasilik said...

39 feels like the pointed star, now I can check what everyone else chose

7:41 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

51 is the rounder one, and 39 is the spiky one?

8:07 PM  
Blogger PoetLady said...

39 is the star-like shape, 51 is rounder?

Maria

12:08 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

39 right
51 left

12:47 AM  
OpenID thiswaste said...

If I had to choose, I would say 51 is the jagged one, and 39 is the curvy one; However, those aren't their real shapes.

12:52 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I associate 39 with the curvy shape and 51 with the pointy one.

2:42 AM  

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