5 ms·

24 and 60 do make sense because they are highly composite numbers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highly_composite_number https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highly_co

by kozak 8y ago

24 and 60 do make sense because they are highly composite numbers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highly_composite_number https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highly_composite_number

MichaelDickens 8y ago
You could say the same thing about most Imperial units, but most people still prefer the metric system.
- njarboe 8y ago
  I would say most people prefer the one they learned first. For doing science metric is usually better. Easier unit conversions. I think inches/feet are better for construction as you have more options at what level of accuracy you want to work with and splitting things up unless you need to have a fifth of something.
  - kibwen 8y ago
    And to think, we could unify Imperial and metric if we just shift the whole world to a duodecimal number system! :P
- SamBam 8y ago
  That's actually exactly why I like working in Imperial when woodworking. You're composing and dividing things by 2 all the time, so a base-2 fractional system is great.
kps 8y ago
12 and 60 are superior highly composite numbers¹ — as is 360, the number of degrees in a circle and the number of days in a year (with a little engineering work TBD). Speaking of circles, SI hasn't fixed Hz vs rad, have they? ¹ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superior_highly_composite_number https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superior_highly_composite_numb...
- oasisbob 8y ago
  > Speaking of circles, SI hasn't fixed Hz vs rad, have they? I don't think so. Anyone who hasn't heard of the Hz/radian issue should see the "Hz" definition in the units definition file shipped along with Frink - if you like finding interesting rants in unexpected places, it's delightful: https://futureboy.us/frinkdata/units.txt https://futureboy.us/frinkdata/units.txt
  - SiempreViernes 8y ago
    Appropriately, it now contains several outdated rants, showing vast impact these redefinition have: we'll all get an update to units.txt soon!

by kozak 8y ago

24 and 60 do make sense because they are highly composite numbers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highly_composite_number https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highly_composite_number

MichaelDickens 8y ago

You could say the same thing about most Imperial units, but most people still prefer the metric system.

njarboe 8y ago
I would say most people prefer the one they learned first. For doing science metric is usually better. Easier unit conversions. I think inches/feet are better for construction as you have more options at what level of accuracy you want to work with and splitting things up unless you need to have a fifth of something.
- kibwen 8y ago
  And to think, we could unify Imperial and metric if we just shift the whole world to a duodecimal number system! :P
SamBam 8y ago
That's actually exactly why I like working in Imperial when woodworking. You're composing and dividing things by 2 all the time, so a base-2 fractional system is great.

kps 8y ago

12 and 60 are superior highly composite numbers¹ — as is 360, the number of degrees in a circle and the number of days in a year (with a little engineering work TBD). Speaking of circles, SI hasn't fixed Hz vs rad, have they? ¹ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superior_highly_composite_number https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superior_highly_composite_numb...

oasisbob 8y ago
> Speaking of circles, SI hasn't fixed Hz vs rad, have they? I don't think so. Anyone who hasn't heard of the Hz/radian issue should see the "Hz" definition in the units definition file shipped along with Frink - if you like finding interesting rants in unexpected places, it's delightful: https://futureboy.us/frinkdata/units.txt https://futureboy.us/frinkdata/units.txt
- SiempreViernes 8y ago
  Appropriately, it now contains several outdated rants, showing vast impact these redefinition have: we'll all get an update to units.txt soon!