--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: From the three, you then use one to make…" description: "\"From the three, you then use one to make eight ones. You add those ones to the three, and you get one-three base eight, or, in other words, In base ten..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b6/tom-lehrer-3442_add_from-the-three-you-then-use-one-to-make_3199997.jpg" --- # From the three, you then use one to make eight ones. You… ![“From the three, you then use one to make eight ones. You add those ones to the three, and you get one-three base eight, or, in other words, In base ten you have eleven, and you take away seven. And seven from eleven is four. Now go back to the sixty-fours, you're left with two.” quote by Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b6/tom-lehrer-3442_add_from-the-three-you-then-use-one-to-make_3199997.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b6/tom-lehrer-3442_add_from-the-three-you-then-use-one-to-make_3199997.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b6/tom-lehrer-3442_add_from-the-three-you-then-use-one-to-make_3199997.jpg) > “From the three, you then use one to make eight ones. You add those ones to the three, and you get one-three base eight, or, in other words, In base ten you have eleven, and you take away seven. And seven from eleven is four. Now go back to the sixty-fours, you're left with two.” [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A playful arithmetic puzzle using base conversion to illustrate a numeric trick **In simple terms:** Base‑eight math puzzle explained humorously Key Takeaway Enjoy the fun of quirky math puzzles Themes math humor logic Mood playful educational Type humorous didactic When to use this quote - classroom teaching - puzzle games - coding challenges - brain teasers Key Concepts number bases arithmetical tricks Questions to Reflect On - Can you solve similar base puzzles? - Why is humor useful in teaching? A Different Perspective Requires understanding of numeral systems; may confuse without context ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) ## Related quotes > [I began to realize that some of the things Ornette Coleman had said about things being played three or fours ways, independently of each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-davis/i-began-to-realize-that-some-of-the-things-ornette-coleman-had-said/) [Miles Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-davis/) > [Getting down on all fours and imitating a rhinoceros stops babies from crying. (Put an empty cigarette pack on your nose for a horn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/getting-down-on-all-fours-and-imitating-a-rhinoceros-stops-babies/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I salute to you Commander and I sneeze 'Cause I have Now an Allergy To your policies it seems Where have we gone wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/i-salute-to-you-commander-and-i-sneeze-cause-i-have-now-an-allergy-to/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [Harry was speeding toward the ground when the crowd saw him clap his hand to his mouth as though he was going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/harry-was-speeding-toward-the-ground-when-the-crowd-saw-him-clap-his/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [Somehow I had to turn the salted peanuts in the cigar box into petits fours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruta-sepetys/somehow-i-had-to-turn-the-salted-peanuts-in-the-cigar-box-into-petits/) [Ruta Sepetys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruta-sepetys/) > [Freedom is dangerous. Possibly crawling on all fours might be safer than standing upright, but we like the view better up there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-paterson/freedom-is-dangerous-possibly-crawling-on-all-fours-might-be-safer/) [Isabel Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-paterson/) > [The whole idea of jazz came about was the interpretation of the human dialogue, trading fours. When someone's soloing and someone picks up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-pierce/the-whole-idea-of-jazz-came-about-was-the-interpretation-of-the-human/) [Wendell Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-pierce/) > [“Not to go on all-Fours; that is the Law. Are we not Men?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/not-to-go-on-all-fours-that-is-the-law-are-we-not-men/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [The reason why people love T20 is the sixes and fours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ms-dhoni/the-reason-why-people-love-t20-is-the-sixes-and-fours/) [MS Dhoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ms-dhoni/) > [I liked it. I liked her. And every time I saw her, she seemed more beautiful. She just seemed to glow. I'm not talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendelin-van-draanen/i-liked-it-i-liked-her-and-every-time-i-saw-her-she-seemed-more/) [Wendelin Van Draanen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendelin-van-draanen/) > [Because there are no fours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-walker/because-there-are-no-fours/) Antoine Walker > [Perhaps, when we remember wars, we should take off our clothes and paint ourselves blue and go on all fours all day long and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/perhaps-when-we-remember-wars-we-should-take-off-our-clothes-and/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [The black man will inherit the earth; he will resume control, taking back the position he held centuries ago when the white devil was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/the-black-man-will-inherit-the-earth-he-will-resume-control-taking/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [When a doting person gets down on all fours and plays with a puppy's rubber mouse, for instance, it only confuses the young dog…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-ford/when-a-doting-person-gets-down-on-all-fours-and-plays-with-a-puppy-s/) [Corey Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-ford/) > [Time has an undertaking establishment on every block and drives his coffin nails faster than the steam riveters rivet or the stenographers type or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dos-passos/time-has-an-undertaking-establishment-on-every-block-and-drives-his/) [John Dos Passos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dos-passos/) ## More by Tom Lehrer > [Plagiarize, plagiarize, / Let no man's work evade your eyes, / Remember why the good Lord made your eyes, / Don't shade your eyes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/plagiarize-plagiarize-let-no-man-s-work-evade-your-eyes-remember-why/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [I ache for the touch of your lips dear, but much more for the touch of your whips dear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/i-ache-for-the-touch-of-your-lips-dear-but-much-more-for-the-touch-of/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [When someone makes a move Of which we don't approve, Who is it that always intervenes? U.N. and O.A.S., They have their place, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/when-someone-makes-a-move-of-which-we-don-t-approve-who-is-it-that/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [I'm not tempted to write a song about George W. Bush. I couldn't figure out what sort of song I would write. That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/i-m-not-tempted-to-write-a-song-about-george-w-bush-i-couldn-t-figure/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [Don't solicit for your sister, it's not nice. Unless you get a good percentage of her price.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/don-t-solicit-for-your-sister-it-s-not-nice-unless-you-get-a-good/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [It is a sobering thought that when Mozart was my age, he had been dead for two years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/it-is-a-sobering-thought-that-when-mozart-was-my-age-he-had-been-dead/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [“I am never forget the day I first meet the great Lobachevsky. In one word he told me secret of success in mathematics: Plagiarize!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/i-am-never-forget-the-day-i-first-meet-the-great-lobachevsky-in-one/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [Counting in octal is just likst counting in decimal--if you don't use your thumbs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/counting-in-octal-is-just-likst-counting-in-decimal-if-you-don-t-use/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [Disclaimer: If anyone disagrees with anything I say, I am quite prepared to not only retract it, but also to deny under oath I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/disclaimer-if-anyone-disagrees-with-anything-i-say-i-am-quite/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [Don't write naughty words on the wall if you can't spell!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/don-t-write-naughty-words-on-the-wall-if-you-can-t-spell/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [I don't want to satirise George Bush and his puppeteers, I want to vaporise them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/i-don-t-want-to-satirise-george-bush-and-his-puppeteers-i-want-to/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [San Francisco is a city of twenty-something millionaire white kids named Doug.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/san-francisco-is-a-city-of-twenty-something-millionaire-white-kids/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [On Christmas day you can't get sore, Your fellow man you must adore, There's time to cheat him all the more The other three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/on-christmas-day-you-can-t-get-sore-your-fellow-man-you-must-adore/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [Be prepared, and be careful not to do your good deeds when there's no one watching you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/be-prepared-and-be-careful-not-to-do-your-good-deeds-when-there-s-no/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [There's something mathematically satisfying about music: notes fit together and harmony and all that. And mathematics has to do with abstractions and making connections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/there-s-something-mathematically-satisfying-about-music-notes-fit/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) [Explore all 130 Tom Lehrer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) ## More Add quotes > [Most marriages don't add two people together. They subtract one from the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/most-marriages-don-t-add-two-people-together-they-subtract-one-from/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [Friendship, "the wine of life," should, like a well-stocked cellar, be continually renewed; and it is consolatory to think, that although we can seldom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-boswell/friendship-the-wine-of-life-should-like-a-well-stocked-cellar-be/) [James Boswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-boswell/) > [Life as we know it is fundamentally unsatisfying. I think most folks feel this to be true. They know that a life of aimless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-yates/life-as-we-know-it-is-fundamentally-unsatisfying-i-think-most-folks/) [Michael Yates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-yates/) > [Give me a platter of choice finnan haddie, freshly cooked in its bath of water and milk, add melted butter, a slice or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-claiborne/give-me-a-platter-of-choice-finnan-haddie-freshly-cooked-in-its-bath/) [Craig Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-claiborne/) > [Writing adds up to the conscience of our times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/writing-adds-up-to-the-conscience-of-our-times/) [Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/) > [A 'modern' man has nothing to add to modernism, if only because he has nothing to oppose it with. The well-adapted drop off the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elias-canetti/a-modern-man-has-nothing-to-add-to-modernism-if-only-because-he-has/) [Elias Canetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elias-canetti/) > [Observation and theory get on best when they are mixed together, both helping one another in the pursuit of truth. It is a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-eddington/observation-and-theory-get-on-best-when-they-are-mixed-together-both/) [Arthur Eddington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-eddington/) > [I may add that we have more than once stated our willingness to conclude nonaggression pacts with the states neighboring our own!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/i-may-add-that-we-have-more-than-once-stated-our-willingness-to/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [The American Constitution declares 'All men are born equal.' The British Socialist Party add: 'All men must be kept equal'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-american-constitution-declares-all-men-are-born-equal-the-british/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [New generations of humans inherit the acquired discoveries of generations past, allowing cosmic insight to accumulate without limit. Each discovery of science therefore adds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/new-generations-of-humans-inherit-the-acquired-discoveries-of/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Thirty days is just about the right amount of time to add a new habit or subtract a habit - like watching the news…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-cutts/thirty-days-is-just-about-the-right-amount-of-time-to-add-a-new-habit/) [Matt Cutts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-cutts/) > [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/) [John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/) > [The Greeks said grandly in their tragic phrase, 'Let no one be called happy till his death;' to which I would add, 'Let no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-barrett-browning/the-greeks-said-grandly-in-their-tragic-phrase-let-no-one-be-called/) [Elizabeth Barrett Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-barrett-browning/) > [Mostly we just add to the piles of rainbow glass that's been blown off the exteriors of the cany-colored buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/mostly-we-just-add-to-the-piles-of-rainbow-glass-that-s-been-blown/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [Global is a unifying bond for people. Once they get outside their own heads and their own communities and see themselves in a broader…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-calvin/global-is-a-unifying-bond-for-people-once-they-get-outside-their-own/) [Kathy Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-calvin/) Browse all 2,710 Add quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "From the three, you then use one to make eight ones. You add those ones to the three, and you get one-three base eight, or, in other words, In base ten you have eleven, and you take away seven. And seven from eleven is four. Now go back to the sixty-fours, you're left with two.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tom Lehrer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/from-the-three-you-then-use-one-to-make-eight-ones-you-add-those-ones/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Add" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/from-the-three-you-then-use-one-to-make-eight-ones-you-add-those-ones/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b6/tom-lehrer-3442_add_from-the-three-you-then-use-one-to-make_3199997.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b6/tom-lehrer-3442_add_from-the-three-you-then-use-one-to-make_3199997.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7b6/tom-lehrer-3442_add_from-the-three-you-then-use-one-to-make_3199997.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“From the three, you then use one to make eight ones. You add those ones to the three, and you get one-three…” — Tom Lehrer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Tom Lehrer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "From the three, you then use...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/from-the-three-you-then-use-one-to-make-eight-ones-you-add-those-ones/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/from-the-three-you-then-use-one-to-make-eight-ones-you-add-those-ones/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```