/sci/ - Science & Math » Thread #12536088

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Why is time like this

Anonymous Sat 02 Jan 12:40:48 2021 No.12536088 View Reply Original Report

Quoted By: >>12536091 >>12536146 >>12536154 >>12536196 >>12536216 >>12536460 >>12536468

>Yeah let's split the year into 365 days each one made of 24 hours which are made of 60 minutes and each minute is made of 60 seconds but let's make it that the seconds are now divisible in base 10 into fractions.
Why can't we have base 10 times? Americans at it again?

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 02 Jan 2021 12:43:03 No.12536091 Report

Quoted By: >>12536093

>>12536088
You make a fine argument in favor of compulsory anal prolapse for everyone.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 02 Jan 2021 12:44:05 No.12536093 Report

Quoted By:

>>12536091
i dont get it

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 02 Jan 2021 13:10:26 No.12536139 Report

Quoted By:

Describing the motion of celestial bodies (i.e. day/night cycles, lunar cycles) using base-10 would be cancerous as hell. Have you seen the SI conversions between days, months, years and seconds? If your expertise or work involves astronomy and celestial reference frames then sure, we use SI seconds. Otherwise, stick with accessible, easily understood Gregorian denominations

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 02 Jan 2021 13:12:15 No.12536144 Report

Quoted By:

But yeh, to answer your question - the Gregorian calendar was the best way to describe and rationalise celestial phenomena. I'd argue that it still is for everyday use

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 02 Jan 2021 13:14:07 No.12536146 Report

Quoted By: >>12536196

>>12536088
I always thought it had something to do with 360 degrees in a rotation and some perfect triangle thing

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 02 Jan 2021 13:17:32 No.12536154 Report

Quoted By:

>>12536088
The division of seconds started much later.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 02 Jan 2021 13:41:51 No.12536196 Report

Quoted By:

>>12536088

> 365 days
not an arbitrary choice. you get this simply from observing how many days are in a year which a year defined by astronomical observations.

> 24 hours
> 60 minutes
> 60 seconds
these are arbitrary choices but chosen for convenience. these numbers all have the simple factors 2,3,4,6, etc making subdividing a time period easier even for ancient cultures with no algebra.

>>12536146
360 is chosen for the same reason but rather than time its dividing angles.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 02 Jan 2021 13:52:14 No.12536216 Report

Quoted By:

>>12536088
babylonians. The french tried it but it didnt stick, dividing time in babylonian system is too widespread while units of weight, volume and distance were a mess.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 02 Jan 2021 15:29:23 No.12536460 Report

Quoted By:

>>12536088
High number of prime factors aid in partitioning. 12 is better than 10 in that regard, which is why you e.g. see dozens being a thing.
Adding the next best prime factor, 5, gives 60.

Anonymous

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Anonymous Sat 02 Jan 2021 15:33:03 No.12536468 Report

Quoted By:

>>12536088
It was the Sumerians who first decided to measure time like this. They used a base 60 number system.

During the French Revolution, some autists tried to change everything (includying the measuring of time) into a decimal metric-like system, but it didn't stick.

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