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Next to a large abacus standing an orange-and-white cat. The abacus has stylized mouse figures instead of balls, a row of eight mouse figures in gray, on the next rod a row of eight mouse figures in orange, on the next rod a row of eight mouse figures in white, on the next rod a row of eight mouse figures in black, on the last row of eight mouse figures in brown. The cat moves the mouse figures around the abacus. Backround of modern office.
The cat could use one of the two computers in the picture, but she prefers the more obvious calculation on the abacus.
The number of mice on each rod is fine. Cats have a rather stunted thumb and can't move it, so they only count to eight. The advantage is that instead of counting, they can learn conversions to the binary system and back. Then calculations are easy. From this point of view, it's a pity that it was the Egyptians who started with mathmatics, because they used some kind of a decimal approach, when they had symbols for ones, tens and thousands. If the English, who don't consider the thumb to be a finger, had invented the number system, we could have an octal system too.
