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312

"Can you do numbers?" asked Melanie.
"That depends on the number," I said.

Fortunately the number she wanted was feasible. Others would not fare so well, owing to the lack of context numbers have, and the similarity and symmetry already present among numerals. Suppose for a moment it were 816. 816 upside down is patently 918, and any attempt to make a symmetrical version would inevitably look more like 818 or 916. Context and experience lets us guess that "Craig" makes more sense than "Craip," but how would the viewer know which of these numbers is the right one?