ScreamapillarAPI t1_iu1fpxp wrote
Reply to comment by [deleted] in Enter a wavelength of visible light (380nm - 808nm) to see what color it is by CoherentPhoton
The base 10 number system wasn't universal for human civilization and certainly wasn't the first numeric system developed by humans. The sumerians used a base 60 counting system which they passed on to the Babylonians, which is why we we still measure our time and things like angles and coordinates in geometry by factors of 60. (Eg 60 seconds in a minute 60 minutes in an hour)
It originated by using our thumb to point to the 3 bones of our fingers, times that by 4 you get 12, times that by 5 fingers per batch of 12 and you get 60. (That last step at the end confuses me because it seems to contradict using your thumb to point to your 4 fingers but that's what the wiki seems to say)
RisingPhoenix5 t1_iu2jfu6 wrote
So essentially, your dominant hand would count up to twelve using the bones on your fingers of that same hand.
On the other hand (This entire comment is worth it for that pun), your non-dominant hand would count the number of times you reached 12 while counting, or the multiple of 12 to use. So two fingers on the offhand would be equivalent to 24, while three of the offhand and 3 bones on the dominant hand would be 2(12)+3 = 27.
At least, that was my understanding from the Wikipedia page.
ScreamapillarAPI t1_iu30g51 wrote
Doesn't that describe a base 12 system though rather than a base 60, if your off hand represents X * 12? Like in base 10, eleven is represented as 11. (1 * 10 + 1) and in base 2 11 is three (1 * 2 + 1)
Edit: I found a video by numberphile explaining base 60 and he describes it exactly like you did. I guess what I'm hung up on is why is it considered base 60 rather than base 12? https://youtu.be/R9m2jck1f90
RisingPhoenix5 t1_iu36thr wrote
Because you consider both hands. You can get to 12 on one hand, but using both hands you can count to 60 total. Thats just a guess on my part though, I don't actually know.
TheThiefMaster t1_iu3dt5n wrote
It's because it goes to 12 on one hand, then 5 on the other, and then if you go higher it does 12 again then 5 again. You can think of that as going to 60 on both hands, then 60 again, rather than alternating 12 and 5.
e.g. 12×5 (60) seconds, then 12×5 (60) minutes, then 12 hours
Really it's an alternating base 12/5 number system though.
[deleted] t1_iu32vpo wrote
That's a base 12 system, I use it sometimes. It's easier to use than counting on fingers. It's a popular way of counting in a lot of places
RisingPhoenix5 t1_iu36q32 wrote
As noted in other comments and the wiki I commented on, it is actually a base 60, not 12. 12 is just the number of digits you can count to on one hand. In the same way the base 10 system works off of both hands, just using a different base.
DjuncleMC t1_iu1gxbq wrote
Very interesting, thank you for this knowledge!
postdusk t1_iu2hcgb wrote
Count the single digits on the 'smart hand', second digit on the slower hand, is my guess.
RipleyScroll t1_iu3ikcw wrote
It's not the second digit on the slower hand though, but the multiplicator for the single digits
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