Comment on What has he done to deserve this?

• roguetrick@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  You’re pointing out the problem in base10 having too many fractions that don’t divide cleanly. This is why base10 is shit.

  Low IQ Base10: 17/64 - 0.265625

  Equivalent expression in Chad Base12: 15/54 - 0.323

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  • ramenshaman@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    This post is about the metric system, not base 10 vs base 12. Metric is superior to imperial.

    Also 15/54 is in no way more convenient than 17/64, I’m assuming you’re joking.

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    • roguetrick@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      It’s the same number in different bases and our friend you replied to was pointing out that it was a mistake to adopt base10 measuring instead of throwing out base10 counting was a mistake. And he was right.

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      • ramenshaman@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        Ok, I reread their comment and I see what you’re getting at. Base 12 would be better in many cases but I just don’t see anybody switching anytime soon. We would pretty much have to start over. If people had 12 fingers we probably would have started on base 12 to begin with.

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    • the_crotch@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      And the metric system would be better still if it was base12. It’s time for a replacement.

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      • Preflight_Tomato@lemm.ee ⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        The world if metric began in base 12:

        The world if metric began in base 12

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    • the_crotch@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Metric is superior to imperial.

      And both are inferior to a hypothetical base12 system. So lets invent one.

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  • Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    I’m enjoying you playing devil’s advocate here thoroughly.

    Lemmy is so pigheaded sometimes with certain topics that all they see is one side of everything.

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  • uis@lemm.ee ⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Let’s use BasePi then

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• the_crotch@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  “hey can I borrow a drill bit?”

  “Sure, what size?”

  “0.33333333333333333333333333333333 centimeters”

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  • ramenshaman@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Metric drill bits are measured in mm and hardy anybody needs that much precision. I have a set of metric drill bits in 0.1mm increments and I might not ever need greater precision than that. Maybe in some lab environments they need greater precision but I imagine once you’re on that level it would be custom anyway.

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    • the_crotch@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      0.33333… is what happens when you try to divide 10 by 3. This is because 10 is such a broken number that 1/3rd (a pretty common fraction) becomes an infinitely repeating decimal. In base12, 1/3rd is 4. Metric is broken by design because it’s based on base10. Lets take the lessons learned from the metric system and invent something new, something better, something base12.

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      • bufalo1973@lemmy.ml ⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        And 12 doesn’t divide nicely by 5. So what?

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      • ramenshaman@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        Yes, I learned about fractions and decimals in elementary school.

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      • FlorianSimon@sh.itjust.works ⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        Not 0.4?!

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• Thorry84@feddit.nl ⁨3⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Oh you don’t have a seventeen sixty-fourths? No problem, just give me a letter H sized drill bit, that’ll do fine.

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