Edit: Alt Text: Speed limit c arcminutes^2 per steradian.

  • @captainlezbian
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    16 hours ago

    The problem with base 60 is needing to know and remember instinctively the names, symbols, and relative positioning for 60 digits. Like, I love Babylon, they’re underrated for certain, but imagine teaching this to a 5 year old. Imagine doing calculus with this shit. Now remember that their writing impliment was a triangular reed and their written marks were entirely triangles and straight lines.

    • @chiliedogg
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      15 hours ago

      I knew a 26-letter alphabet by the time I was 2.

      • @captainlezbian
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        13 hours ago

        Yes, but set to music i assume and not nearly to the level one was expected to understand the ordering of digits.

        In base 34: 1…9,a…z,10 it’s slightly more than half the digits the babylonians had, and as someone whose career involves a lot of math I don’t want to be dealing with at a glance trying to figure out the approximate difference between jl5x and ik8r

        As an adult with a college degree in stem I know my digits and their ordering perfectly and without question unless literally trying to trip me up. The alphabet, I know in that specific order and would have to think to start in the middle. I don’t want to do series or sequences on that shit and if you do then good for you