Wow I just saw this comment, thanks so much! To be honest this did take a whole lot of time, way more than I intended on spending. Thanks for the link to Dan's responses. I agree, it is definitely a game to watch, I appreciate your intelligent commentary. I'm going to have to check out that Radix novel!
In reference to the ternary number system, I remember reading an explanation that had to do with its ability to perform complex computations quicker, which theoretically does give it a major advantage, if only the hardware was available for it.