That is true! But I’m bad at recognizing the numbers (except four 🖕) once I’ve counted them. The 1-99 method (fingers on one hand are ones and thumb is 5, fingers on the other hand are tens and thumb is 50) is much easier to interpret.
Each finger is divided into 3 parts, tip, middle and base. You use your thumb on the same hand to count the finger part by touching it. Index tip is 1, middle finger tip is 4, ring middle is 8, pinkie base is 12.
So using just one hand, you could keep count of say, bags of wheat that you’re handing to your customers with the other hand.
Now bring your other hand into play, and you curl one finger into your fist each time you reach 12 on the other hand. 4 fingers plus the thumb is 5, 5*12 is 60.
In theory you could go higher using finger segments on both hands, but the Babylonians liked the number 60, it had a lot of factors. Divides without remainders by 2, 3, 4 5, 6, 10, 12. That’s where we get 12 hour clocks from. 6*60=360, we get degrees of a circle. I could go on. 60 is just a really great number.
Eye of Horus fractions are another really cool way to represent mathematical concepts in a single compact glyph.
Fun fact you can count to 12 on one hand and 60 on two hands,bits how the Babylonians traded.
Is it possible to learn this power?
Edit: I can count to 9 on one hand and 99 on two hands. This is superior when using two hands, but 12 on one hand?
You can count to 31 on one hand and 1023 on two hands if you get really good at counting and adding with binary
One of the many reasons I made the switch.
That is true! But I’m bad at recognizing the numbers (except four 🖕) once I’ve counted them. The 1-99 method (fingers on one hand are ones and thumb is 5, fingers on the other hand are tens and thumb is 50) is much easier to interpret.
3 phalanges (each bone in your finger) per finger, 4 fingers.
With that you could get to 168 on two hands, I think.
Each finger is divided into 3 parts, tip, middle and base. You use your thumb on the same hand to count the finger part by touching it. Index tip is 1, middle finger tip is 4, ring middle is 8, pinkie base is 12.
So using just one hand, you could keep count of say, bags of wheat that you’re handing to your customers with the other hand.
Now bring your other hand into play, and you curl one finger into your fist each time you reach 12 on the other hand. 4 fingers plus the thumb is 5, 5*12 is 60.
In theory you could go higher using finger segments on both hands, but the Babylonians liked the number 60, it had a lot of factors. Divides without remainders by 2, 3, 4 5, 6, 10, 12. That’s where we get 12 hour clocks from. 6*60=360, we get degrees of a circle. I could go on. 60 is just a really great number.
Eye of Horus fractions are another really cool way to represent mathematical concepts in a single compact glyph.