atrax@lemmy.world to Showerthoughts@lemmy.world · 1 year agoWhy do we use base 60 for time and base 10 for everything else. Why has no one decided to integrate it.message-squaremessage-square56fedilinkarrow-up1146arrow-down19file-text
arrow-up1137arrow-down1message-squareWhy do we use base 60 for time and base 10 for everything else. Why has no one decided to integrate it.atrax@lemmy.world to Showerthoughts@lemmy.world · 1 year agomessage-square56fedilinkfile-text
minus-squareweew@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up4·1 year agoThat’s the same argument for (some) Imperial measurements, but people converted to metric anyways.
minus-squareEylrid@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up18·1 year agoMetric isn’t better because it uses 10, it’s better because it uses the same base for everything. A measurement system (and number system) that uses 12 for everything would be better than both imperial and metric.
minus-squarethrowsbooks@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkarrow-up11arrow-down1·1 year agoI think the benefit of having metric in base 10 rather than 12 is that it matches our numeric base system. 123mm is 12.3cm and 1.23dm and 0.123m. Converting things in base 12 would be a bit more work, not sure it’d be worth it. We’re not really going around converting time very often.
That’s the same argument for (some) Imperial measurements, but people converted to metric anyways.
Metric isn’t better because it uses 10, it’s better because it uses the same base for everything. A measurement system (and number system) that uses 12 for everything would be better than both imperial and metric.
I think the benefit of having metric in base 10 rather than 12 is that it matches our numeric base system.
123mm is 12.3cm and 1.23dm and 0.123m.
Converting things in base 12 would be a bit more work, not sure it’d be worth it.
We’re not really going around converting time very often.