this post was submitted on 20 May 2025
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[–] [email protected] 98 points 1 month ago (1 children)

At least our hours are the same length regardless of latitude now, so let's be grateful for that.

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[–] [email protected] 90 points 1 month ago (1 children)

IIRC they counted the bones in their fingers using their thumb and that gives 12. The first sundial was around the equator and there is always light for half a day, so half a day becomes 12 hours.

To count large numbers often one hand was used to count using 5 fingers and the other to count the bones, so you get 5x12 for 60 minutes.

[–] [email protected] 54 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

AIUI there was an aspect in the divisibility of the numbers being convenient.

12 is divisible by 2, 3, 4, and 6. 60 is divisible by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, and 30.

10 is divisible by 2 and 5. 100 is divisible by 2, 4, 5, 10, 20, 25, and 50.

If you want to minimize dealing with fractions, 12 and 60 are far more convenient than 10 and 100.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (11 children)

That's an interesting thought, but I believe it to simply be a coincidence.

The base 12 counting being based on counting the division of your fingers is historically verified, but if the division aspect was so compelling to them you'd expect it to carry forward into their writing system.

By the time you get cuneiform math though, they actually go back to base 10.

https://images.app.goo.gl/9GR6VEiT7GHYF3KaA

As you can see base 12 is not in the written system, or for written mathematics. It just was convenient for counting on their hands.

They used mixes of base 10/base 12 and base 60.

Base 10 would be used go determine the symbols for a specific "digit" in base 60.

So similar to how our 13 is 1 ten and 3 ones, their 13 was the symbol for 10 then 3 symbols for 1. 13 = 𒌋𒁹𒁹𒁹 But 73 would be written 𒁹 𒌋𒁹𒁹𒁹

Which would be interpreted as 1 sixty and 13 ones, or 60 + 13

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[–] [email protected] 64 points 1 month ago (8 children)
[–] [email protected] 49 points 1 month ago (5 children)
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[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 month ago (7 children)

Why the 'IIII' insted of 'IV'?

[–] [email protected] 32 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Prevents confusion between the four and the six: III, IV, V, VI, when the watch is not held perfectly vertically for viewing.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 month ago

Actually very common in watches with roman numbers iirc

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[–] [email protected] 56 points 1 month ago (3 children)

I only recently learned the etymology of the word: "second"

Its name comes from being the "second" division of the hour, with the minute being the first.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

I'll see you in 5 firsts, 2 seconds and 7 thirds.

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[–] [email protected] 36 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (9 children)

Days start at 0h, not 12h

It can't start at 12 hours if there are 24 segments.

And keep your letters out of it too.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Days start at 0h, not 12h

Show me where is the zero here?

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 month ago (7 children)

The AM/PM bullshit:

AM: 12, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Then the same for PM. Who counts like that? Whats after 12? 1! What?

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[–] [email protected] 32 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Clocks should use 24h format. AM/PM is completely useless.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (18 children)

No it's not, with a 12h format on an analog watch you can use the sun to find true north. It is also easier to read it when the hands have double the amount of degrees to indicate the number.

Edit -- digital watches should use 24h, I fully agree, maybe there was a misunderstanding because it's analog watches we're talking about here and these could stay 12h IMHO

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[–] [email protected] 32 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Don't listen to OP's bullshit.

They work for big clock. They're trying to convince you 12 hour clock is useless so they can sell you double the clock.

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Somebody never had a clock with roman numerals and it shows

I remember getting into an argument with a grade school teacher over IIII because most such clocks put that for 4 instead of IV because of some fuckin reason

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

I despise these so so much. IIII was historically NEVER correct. Some doofus decided to put that on a clock because it looks more symmetrical with the VIII on the other side. Terrible reasoning.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Weird, I've seen many analog clocks with Roman numerals but always IV for 4.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It's actually called the "clockmakers four" or "watchmakers four." it's a thing.

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[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 month ago (5 children)

We have Babylon to thank for this

[–] [email protected] 31 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Well, then I can't complain, lovely sci-fi production.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 month ago (9 children)

Yeah but no matter how hard I look I can't find the first 4

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Our mistake was not embracing base-12 time, it was failing to embrace a base-12 counting system.

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Sundials.

Now if you want to get really pissed, the magnetic North Pole is actually the South Pole of the Earth’s magnetic field. We call it the North Pole because the north side of a magnet points to it.

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[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 month ago

The 6 means 30, both of which also mean 1/2

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 month ago (6 children)

When I become dictator of the world, this will be the new time unit: https://metric-time.com/

The year will also have 13 months: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Fixed_Calendar

The year will be 12025: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocene_calendar

Because these things just make more sense. You will thank me after a few generations, because habits are hard to change.

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

It's the same logic that was used by ancient astronomers to arrive at 360 degrees for a full revolution.

The math is easier if you have to do it by hand.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 month ago (7 children)
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[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 month ago (18 children)

Also why clockwise?

Earth rotates and orbits counter clockwise. It just seems more right

[–] [email protected] 83 points 1 month ago (1 children)

To be fair whichever direction they made it go would be clockwise

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 month ago

True, but also it’s because of sundials

[–] [email protected] 74 points 1 month ago

Because Sundials rotate clockwise ( in north hemisphere )

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Earth rotates and orbits counter clockwise.

No it doesn't. It depends on the human perception of "up" and "down" which are completely arbitrary. We by convention see the North Pole as the "top" of the world but it could as easily be seen as Antarctica.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 month ago

If you want to be mad about time then I'd like to introduce you to a little thing I like to call the Gregorian calendar.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 month ago (9 children)

Relatively funny but gets worse the more you think about it.

The 6 stands for 6, not 30.

When we have AM and PM it would be dumb to have 1-24.

1 is the end of the 1st hour. 2 the end of the second. This is why it starts at 0.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)

sub.wetshaving.social?

What is this?

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 month ago (2 children)

My guess is there are only so many conversations you can have over whether a Silvertip Badger is superior to a Boar brush.

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 month ago

I'll be there at H:00.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Hour hand -> hour = n
Minute hand -> minute = n * 5
It makes sense, there's just an algorithm attached to each pointer.

Hour -> 3 = 3
Minute -> 3 = 3 * 5 = 15

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