Re: measuring systems (was: Selenites)

J.A. Mills wrote:

>So, which system has intrinsically superior merit, the decimal time system or
>the duodecimal one?  Any mathematicians?
I'm not a mathematician, but I think I can assure that no system has intrinsic
merits...

Advantages, that's another thing. If possible, all units (time, length, etc.)
should be based on the same system. As for divisibility, 12 is far better than
10.

We should decide where's the equilibrium point between practicality and
easiness of use. Base 2 makes it easy to sum and multiply, and computers
use it worldwide, but it requires an awful lot of digits. Base 12 is good;
base 16 could be better, because of its easy convertibility to binary. If we
go for division, we could use base 60, like Babylonians did (I think; that
seems to be why we have 60-minute degrees/hours). 60 is divisible by all
the divisors of 12, and also by 10. And numbers would be short.
There should be a rule to write figures (you won't have to learn 60 different
number signs!).


--Pablo Flores

* "The Universe is not user-friendly" *
*                     Kelvin Throop   *


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