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Humans Are Evolving Right Before Our Eyes on the Tibetan Plateau
- lutusp 2y agoModern-day human evolution can be less obvious. My favorite example are those born with six fingers on each hand (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polydactyly https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polydactyly). This uncommon mutation grants a subtle calculation advantage. Think about it. If this mutation had become the norm, we would have base-12 numbers, which over thousands of years could have accelerated mathematical evolution. Nontrivial divisors of 10: 2, 5 Nontrivial divisors of 12: 2, 3, 4, 6 These people also have an unfair advantage in guitar playing.
- krapp 2y agoNumerous civilizations, such as the Sumerians and Egyptians, did use base-12 math. We find the remnants of this in our timekeeping systems - 12 hours of day and night, 12 months in a year, 60 minutes per hour and 60 seconds per minute, etc. Human mathematical prowess is in no way limited by the number of fingers on a human hand.