If a man was born in 1934, and died in 2012, how old was he when he died? You might think, “78 obviously.” I disagree.
If I put a pizza in the oven and look at the clock, which says 6:03, then come back when it reads 6:16, how much time has passed? To understand this type of question, I will ask another question, focusing on the point of interest: How much time has passed between 6:03 and 6:04? The answer is anywhere from zero to two minutes. If I looked at the clock exactly as it turned 6:03, then looked back just before it switched to 6:05, two minutes had passed. If I looked at the clock just before it turned 6:04, then looked again a second later, it would read 6:04, even though only one second had passed.
This phenomena (basic counting principle?) occurs often in lists. If I read chapters 6-12 in a book, I have read 7 chapters: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. You cannot merely subtract the higher number from the lower number, since both the ends are included.
Going back to my original question, what if the man was born on January 1st, 1934, at 12:00 AM, and died on December 31st, 2012, at midnight? Applying the same logic to the other way around, the man has a range of how old he actually could have been at death, anywhere from 77-79 years old. Even though this is the most extreme of cases, a person’s true age can easily be off my a year based on the months of their birth and death. Let’s say the man was born in May, and died in November. In 2012, he experienced his 78th birthday, and therefore was 78 when he died. On the other hand, if he died in March, he had not yet reached his 78th birthday, and was only 77 when he died. In summary, since age is only calculated by complete years, simple calculation of how old someone was when they died can be incorrect.
Also, I think my pizza is burning.
Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs 