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For many children, the world of mathematics is a logical progression of patterns and rules. But for others, numbers are a ...

It has been long thought that one of the characteristics that makes humans unique is our ability to learn and manipulate symbols for communication. However, this notion is starting to slowly unravel.

Until the late Renaissance, there were few symbols to depict clearly and concisely what would later become known as an equation. Numbers and numerical problems were framed in words and sentences.

Counting feels utterly effortless to adults, who are unlikely to even remember when or how they picked up this useful, apparently automatic skill. Yet when you think about it, counting is a remarkable ...