#Language #Mathematics #English #Grammar .

@StefanMuelller

I know: Explaining a joke is a bad habit, but for the STEMs

So, if you need an explanation for the joke:

https://dd3ah.de/endlichkeit-abzaehlbarkeit-maechtigkeit/

https://dd3ah.de/previews/ueberabzaehlbarkeit/

Use the translation button at the end of each article if you can't read German.

@DD3AH Thanks!

@StefanMuelller

CC @ionica

@StefanMuelller
many rational
Much real
So infinites
Wow

@bart @StefanMuelller @lexiconista In American English one would say "number of apples" when talking about whole apples rather than "amount of apples"

"amount" would be for something that's measured rather than counted. Amount of water or flour for a recipe. If you needed a specific number of grams or volume of apples ( or applesauce ), then you could use amount

Many real numbers are in this list, much of the real number line is in this diagram

(now I’m having a different quibble with myself. Perhaps any half of the real number line would qualify.)

@librico @StefanMuelller

@StefanMuelller Well, technically,

you cannot use plural for uncountable nouns either. So, it's ‘‘many rational numbers’’, and ‘‘much of the real number-dom’’.

@StefanMuelller

That would depend on what particular set of rational/real numbers you are talking about.

@StefanMuelller also “how many does this cost?”

@bart @StefanMuelller @lexiconista

Maybe they confuse "amount" with "een berg"

@StefanMuelller
#AltText4You
4 Panel comic with 2 snails.

Panel 1:
Left snail craws behind right snail and asks: 'English is difficult. When do we use "many" and when do we use "much"?

Panel 2:
Right snail answers: '"Many" is for nouns that are countable, like apples. "Much" is for nouns that are not countable, like water.

Panel 3:
Left snail concludes: 'So we should say "many rational numbers" and "much real numbers"?

Panel 4:
Right snail is turned around to look (with pain?) at left snail.

@StefanMuelller I think that makes sense!

@ThreeSigma @StefanMuelller
Thundercats ?

@StefanMuelller@lingo.lol But neither real numbers nor (ir)rational numbers are limited?

Probably should have said something like "indefinite" rather than merely "countable"

…and, yes, I get the joke.

Oddly, I tend to far more frequently run into the opposite of this problem ("fewer" versus "less").

@bart @StefanMuelller @lexiconista so much came before many?

@StefanMuelller
@MagicLike

@ThreeSigma

All matter is countable. You just need a sufficiently good microscope.

@StefanMuelller

@StefanMuelller @argv_minus_one @ThreeSigma is energy many or much

@lina

For that, you also need a sufficiently good theory of particle physics.

@StefanMuelller @ThreeSigma

@ThreeSigma @StefanMuelller

Much is certainly open, and many are certainly closed. That much can be said