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UltraGucamole t1_ix3ycbb wrote

The best explanation I've heard is that we count in sets of ten because we have ten fingers, making the sets of ten easier to understand and visualize.

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anujshr7 OP t1_ix3yy2o wrote

Ok

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homeboi808 t1_ix3zorv wrote

We didn’t always; many humans used to use “12” instead of 10, hence why times and calendars are all based off 12 (but still relating to hands, they counted each segment of the thumb, so 8 from the others fingers and 4 from the thumbs).

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StupidLemonEater t1_ix3zv61 wrote

Other cultures in history have used other counting systems. The Egyptians counted in base-12, the Babylonians in base-60, and the Mayans in base-20.

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