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[-] TeenieBopper@lemmy.world 16 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

10 isn't the best base and I'm sick of pretending it is.

[-] Rinox@feddit.it 10 points 11 months ago

Depends for what. Still better than random scales like 3, 12, 1760 and units that don't mean anything like hundredweight, which isn't even one hundred anything, unless it is because you live in another part of the world where the same word means a totally different thing.

Fancy a pint?

[-] Wanderer@lemm.ee 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

12 is much better than 10 and I will die on this hill.

If there was a vote to change everything to base 12 counting I would.

How is 12 not better than 10?

[-] Rinox@feddit.it 1 points 11 months ago

I don't agree. It might sometimes be cool, but with a numerical system in base 10, having a unit system in base 12 becomes really hard to manage. Let's take meters:

1m = 10dm = 100cm = 1000mm VS 1m = 12dm = 144cm = 1728mm

How many mm is 15 dm in each system?

To make a base 12 system work, you'd need to change the numerical system also, by adding two new digits, like we do for hexadecimal numbers, so you'd have ...8-9-A-B-10, where A = 10 and B = 11 (in 10 base), so that 1m = 10dm = 100cm but in base 12.

Anyway, good luck trying to pass that, I've seen people who can barely count on their fingers, let alone understand a new base 12 numerical system. And for what?

[-] Wanderer@lemm.ee 1 points 11 months ago

1m = 10dm = 100cm = 1000mm VS 1m = 12dm = 144cm = 1728mm

That's obviously not what I'm talking about.

To make a base 12 system work, you'd need to change the numerical system also, by adding two new digits, like we do for hexadecimal numbers, so you'd have ...8-9-A-B-10, where A = 10 and B = 11 (in 10 base), so that 1m = 10dm = 100cm but in base 12.

Yes exactly. It's equally as easy to do both. Counting to base 10 isn't easier than doing it to base 12 or base 6. But 10 is just a kind of shitty number. That's why imperial tends to use 12 because its better. They just changed the wrong thing. Metric should use base 12.

Changing it would be a ball ache. 12 is better than 10 though.

[-] Rinox@feddit.it 1 points 11 months ago

That's obviously not what I'm talking about.

Not really that obvious. The imperial system is not used in base 12. It's used in base 10 like everything else, therefore, if it were consistent with its units (which it isn't) it would be more like 12 -> 144 -> 1728.

Since changing how we count is honestly not realistic, the prospect of having to deal with a system that's not based on 10 is kinda scary.

[-] DJKayDawg@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago

I would pick base 12. Which would you prefer?

[-] TeenieBopper@lemmy.world 8 points 11 months ago

Base 12 crew represent.

[-] Daxtron2@startrek.website 6 points 11 months ago

base 60 Babylonian gang where you at

[-] psud@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

Base 60 has too many symbols for the digits

Base 12 you only need two more symbols to follow 9

[-] Daxtron2@startrek.website 1 points 11 months ago

Yeah but it doesn't have the same schwag as base 60

[-] psud@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

I mean base 60 would be cool and all, but it would be unwieldy

[-] Daxtron2@startrek.website 1 points 11 months ago
[-] psud@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

Indeed. I think you don't want a number system that children can't use

Base twelve already works great in our number names, with eleven and twelve being individually named unlike the teens

[-] EatYouWell@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago
[-] JackRiddle@sh.itjust.works 2 points 11 months ago

Base six

https://www.seximal.net/

Base 12 has some aweful divisions, like 1/5th and 1/7th

[-] pHr34kY@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago
[-] psud@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago
[-] pHr34kY@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Granted, but it divides by two multiple times. Take a good, round number like 1024 and you can halve it 10 times in a row.

The metric system handles thirds by just using multiples. Like, you buy a 1200 wide benchtop and then you can fit a three 400 drawers under it.

You could technically do the same in hex and the base numbers are all (x^y + x^(y+1)) which represent well.

[-] psud@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

Decimal thirds suck. One gets 33c the second gets 33c the third gets 34c

We're just lucky that 1c is negligible

[-] DarkDarkHouse 1 points 11 months ago
[-] psud@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

12 would have been a better base.

The only thing going for 10 is that's how many fingers you have if you can only count in ones

[-] sangriaferret@sh.itjust.works 1 points 11 months ago

There are a total of twelve segments on the four fingers of each hand (thumb excluded) making it just as easy to count to 12.

[-] psud@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

Or you can count in binary, and get to over 1000 on ten fingers

this post was submitted on 11 Dec 2023
771 points (97.1% liked)

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