Number of fingers doesn’t have to dictate their number system. If they’re using a decimal based number system, then a decimal based measurement system is still the logical choice.
It partially does, the percentage of languages that use base 10 is nearly 100 and most that don’t use base 5 or 20… Sure there’s others (60 being the main one that still has an effect on most people’s lives) but they’re vanishingly uncommon
That explains why we have a decimal system is some cultures, yes. But that doesn’t make it mandatory nor unintuitive to use another base.
There have been native tribes with wildly different counting system. Base 12 is surprisingly common, as you can use other features of your hand to count.
Regardless, the fact that base 10 arises from the number of fingers doesn’t mean counting must be based on fingers, that’s not a logical conclusion.
Base 12 is not organically common, it’s incredibly rare even with the modern counting systems we’ve discovered…
The frequency of emergences (based on language families that use them) are: 4 ~1 time, 5 ~4 times, 6 ~3 times, 8 ~2 times, 10 ?? times, 12 ~3 times, 15 ~1 time, 20 ~9 times, 20+5 ~2 times, 23 ~1 time, 24 ~1 time, 27 ~1-2 times, 32 ~1 time, 60 ~2 times
Yes but (1) that isn’t the only base system humans use and (2) aliens could use a base system entirely divorced from their body parts. So number of fingers doesn’t have to dictate which base system is used.
Number of fingers doesn’t have to dictate their number system. If they’re using a decimal based number system, then a decimal based measurement system is still the logical choice.
It partially does, the percentage of languages that use base 10 is nearly 100 and most that don’t use base 5 or 20… Sure there’s others (60 being the main one that still has an effect on most people’s lives) but they’re vanishingly uncommon
It does though. Base 10 is entirely due to humans having 10 fingers.
That explains why we have a decimal system is some cultures, yes. But that doesn’t make it mandatory nor unintuitive to use another base.
There have been native tribes with wildly different counting system. Base 12 is surprisingly common, as you can use other features of your hand to count.
Regardless, the fact that base 10 arises from the number of fingers doesn’t mean counting must be based on fingers, that’s not a logical conclusion.
Base 12 is not organically common, it’s incredibly rare even with the modern counting systems we’ve discovered…
The frequency of emergences (based on language families that use them) are: 4 ~1 time, 5 ~4 times, 6 ~3 times, 8 ~2 times, 10 ?? times, 12 ~3 times, 15 ~1 time, 20 ~9 times, 20+5 ~2 times, 23 ~1 time, 24 ~1 time, 27 ~1-2 times, 32 ~1 time, 60 ~2 times
That’s very cool data, thanks for sharing!
If we had 8 fingers, or 3 fingers, or 15 fingers, we would still be using base 10. It’s just that the value of “10” would be different each time
Took me a bit but indeed. I love this fact now
It’s the classic ‘there are 10 types of people…’ joke, but for a number system other than binary
Yes but (1) that isn’t the only base system humans use and (2) aliens could use a base system entirely divorced from their body parts. So number of fingers doesn’t have to dictate which base system is used.