Early TLS, one page, 8.5 x 11, February 25, 1958. Interesting letter responding to an inquiry about numbers used in a recent article, in part: "Thank you for your letter of 19 February and for your interest in my article, Fecundity Limited. Actually, the fault is mine for using two different systems of numbering. I hate to use the proper names because two [sic] few people are familiar with them. 'Billion' is as high as most people go."
He goes on to define the numbering system, going from 1,000 (thousand) through 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (nonillion). He continues: "But you can break it up so as to use smaller and more familiar units. For instance, you can call a million, a thousand thousand if you wish. Or you can call a trillion, a thousand billion or a million million. My number 51,000,000,000,000,000,000 is really fifty-one quintillion and I only said fifty-one billion billion to avoid using the word quintillion…P.S. The word is 'numeration' not 'numerology.' 'Numerology' is a pseudo-science in which letters are set equal to numbers and mystical facts are thereby 'deduced' about names etc." In fine condition, with intersecting mailing folds.
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