• WolfLink@sh.itjust.works
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    2 days ago

    AIUI there was an aspect in the divisibility of the numbers being convenient.

    12 is divisible by 2, 3, 4, and 6. 60 is divisible by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, and 30.

    10 is divisible by 2 and 5. 100 is divisible by 2, 4, 5, 10, 20, 25, and 50.

    If you want to minimize dealing with fractions, 12 and 60 are far more convenient than 10 and 100.

    • WhatsTheHoldup@lemmy.ml
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      2 days ago

      That’s an interesting thought, but I believe it to simply be a coincidence.

      The base 12 counting being based on counting the division of your fingers is historically verified, but if the division aspect was so compelling to them you’d expect it to carry forward into their writing system.

      By the time you get cuneiform math though, they actually go back to base 10.

      https://images.app.goo.gl/9GR6VEiT7GHYF3KaA

      As you can see base 12 is not in the written system, or for written mathematics. It just was convenient for counting on their hands.

      They used mixes of base 10/base 12 and base 60.

      Base 10 would be used go determine the symbols for a specific “digit” in base 60.

      So similar to how our 13 is 1 ten and 3 ones, their 13 was the symbol for 10 then 3 symbols for 1. 13 = 𒌋𒁹𒁹𒁹 But 73 would be written 𒁹 𒌋𒁹𒁹𒁹

      Which would be interpreted as 1 sixty and 13 ones, or 60 + 13

              • PeriodicallyPedantic@lemmy.ca
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                18 hours ago

                Ok, but now subdivide the 73 day month-analogs into week-analogs.

                I can see calling the month analogs “seasons”, but 73 is a prime number so you’re boned. We need subdivisions smaller than that for practical purposes

                • Danquebec@sh.itjust.works
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                  15 hours ago

                  Don’t subdivide the 73-day seasons.

                  Instead, subdivide the year into 73 5-day weeks.

                  A year made up of 5 seasons and 73 weeks.

                  • PeriodicallyPedantic@lemmy.ca
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                    10 hours ago

                    Like I said, we need smaller subdivisions than 73 for practical purposes.

                    just having 5 season per year and nothing else simply isn’t practical. Imagine having to wait 70 days to the weekend 💀. We need to have a week analog, and no matter what it’s not going to fit cleanly in the seasons.

                    Actually, splitting the season into 10 day weeks with a 3 day weekend, and then ending each season with a 3 day holiday could work, not opposed to that lol

                    But I don’t like 73, it’s not power of 10 or 12 so it doesn’t fit a decimal it duodecimal metric calendar. The universe sucks for not confirming to the way we order to count.
                    I want to have like… A day, a decaday (week), hectoday (season), kiloday (year), megaday (millenium).
                    And in the other direction, a day, a deciday (hour), centiday (minute), milliday(second) etc.
                    So my plan is to change the orbit and rotation of earth to force reality to match our preferences