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Very entertaining read. The earthling says at one point (for comedic effect probably) that they don’t know why people used to like to count in dozens. I didn’t
by Swenrekcah 4y ago
Very entertaining read. The earthling says at one point (for comedic effect probably) that they don’t know why people used to like to count in dozens. I didn’t understand myself until someone explained to me that it makes dividing pay between a group of workers much easier.
You pay 12 coins for a job, very simple to divide between a team of two, three, four, six or twelve.
- octobus2021 4y agoYep, one of the reasons US construction industry sticks to feet and inches instead of using decimal system.
- timbit42 4y agoThe decimal system should have been the dozenal system but good luck getting people to switch from decimal to dozenal.
- octobus2021 4y agoI don't know how many fingers you have, but decimal system makes more sense to me...
- latexr 4y agoYou can count to twelve on your hands just as easily. And that’s per hand. Numberphile explains: https://youtu.be/U6xJfP7-HCc?t=500 https://youtu.be/U6xJfP7-HCc?t=500
- davchana 4y agoSince childhood, I have always counted 16 on 4 fingers. Top of finger tip as 1, then the dark lines between knuckles, on inside side of finger as 2,3,4. After 16, I continue with 17 on first finger again, but left hand has now 1 touched by my thumb. Technically its 16x16 numbers.
- timbit42 4y agoSince I lost 4 in the accident, I have 12 left.
- InCityDreams 4y agoBecause you get paid in coins and have to divide them in 2, 3, 4, 6'z? *but i do now understand the use of a thru'ppenny bit.
- ManuelKiessling 4y agoMh, but isn’t the base 12 system coming from the fact that people used to count stuff with their thumb, using the 3 sections of the other 4 fingers?
- felipeerias 4y agoFurthermore, you can count up to 12 using the fingers of just one hand: you just place the tip of your thumb on each of the other finger's phalanges. With two hands, you can use this method to count up to 144 (a "gross" in English): one hand counts individual items, the other counts dozens.