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If humans were born with 6 fingers on each hand we would be using base 12 instead of the decimal system.
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this post was submitted on 05 Jul 2023
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The oldest known writing system (Mesopotamia, I think but not sure) is base 60 and by and large influences calendars, degrees, etc today so I wouldn't preclude the possibility of an alternate timeline where this could happen based on historical factors alone
“Hundred” in Germanic Europe used to be 120 before the Romans came and introduced their “century” with a value of 100. This is still known as “the long hundred”
12, 60, 120, 360 are the first superior highly composite numbers. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superior_highly_composite_number
These number divides neatly into integer parts in many ways for their size.
They are also the basis of many pre decimal counting systems, some of which are still around. 360 degrees in a circle. 12 hours in a day.
The Babylonian’s used base 60. We still do for time as you pointed out. The minute refers to a minute(as in small) part of something. The “second” is the “second minute”. Ie a minute divided into minutes. This system is also used for geodetic cordinates. Where we have arc minutes and seconds.
60 is useful because it’s easily divided by lots of small numbers, 1,2,3,4,5 and 6, other factors include 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, and 60. This is why we can split our day so much.
The Babylonians popularised base 60. The origins of which were possibly derived from 2 separate groups in Mesopotamia, that started trade but one used base 12 and one base 5, multiply together to get 60.
You can count to 5 and 12 on one hand easily (12 by using thumb to count each section of your 4 finger). Using both hands you get to 60.
https://mathsciencehistory.com/2021/11/09/count-to-60-with-your-phalanges/
China also has counting to 10 on one hand, theory being you can indicate quantities with one hand full at a market.
Kind of. Although they did use base 60, it was largely based on a simpler, base 10, system, like we do woth our clocks, so it seems that they had a base 10, and then developed base 60 to help math