migvelio@lemmy.world to Showerthoughts@lemmy.world · 1 year agoIf humans were born with 6 fingers on each hand we would be using base 12 instead of the decimal system.message-squaremessage-square31fedilinkarrow-up1159arrow-down112
arrow-up1147arrow-down1message-squareIf humans were born with 6 fingers on each hand we would be using base 12 instead of the decimal system.migvelio@lemmy.world to Showerthoughts@lemmy.world · 1 year agomessage-square31fedilink
minus-squareMiddleKnight@discuss.tchncs.delinkfedilinkarrow-up23·edit-21 year ago“Hundred” in Germanic Europe used to be 120 before the Romans came and introduced their “century” with a value of 100. This is still known as “the long hundred” 12, 60, 120, 360 are the first superior highly composite numbers. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superior_highly_composite_number These number divides neatly into integer parts in many ways for their size. They are also the basis of many pre decimal counting systems, some of which are still around. 360 degrees in a circle. 12 hours in a day.
“Hundred” in Germanic Europe used to be 120 before the Romans came and introduced their “century” with a value of 100. This is still known as “the long hundred”
12, 60, 120, 360 are the first superior highly composite numbers. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superior_highly_composite_number
These number divides neatly into integer parts in many ways for their size.
They are also the basis of many pre decimal counting systems, some of which are still around. 360 degrees in a circle. 12 hours in a day.