2002-01-05 To adopt such a system, even though in the long term it might be better, it will present a real nightmare in the mean time.
First, all the numbers after 12-base 10 (10-base 12) will have to be re-named. Two, even though for example we might use the symbol "A" to mean "10" and "B" to mean "11", if we ever did change, we would want to come up with 2 unique symbols. Three, every machine known to man, including calculators and computers would have to be scrapped or expensively modified to account for the new numbering system. Four, the metric system would have to be adapted to base 12. New prefixes would have to be devised to work with base 12. The present prefixes would be useless as they won't conform. Five, we would all have to relearn some of the most basic math, such as counting, adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. Forget it! It isn't going to happen. John ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill Potts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, 2002-01-05 09:34 Subject: [USMA:17212] Re: The number twelve and the universe!! > Steve: > > You seem to have missed the point. I suggest you read Adam Baranski's > message (USMA 17207). > > In the duodecimal system, twelve is written as "10." (In any numbering > system, the base (or radix) value is written as "10." To avoid confusion, > try saying it as "one zero.") Thus, in duodecimal (i.e., base twelve), 10 > (i.e., twelve) divides by 2, 3, 4, 6, and, of course, 10. > > One and one twelfth (1 plus 1/10) is written as 1.1 One and eleven twelfths > (1 plus 1/A) is written as 1.A. > > I don't think anyone is proposing the adoption of duodecimal. However, those > are the facts. > > By the way, in the base-ten system, 10 divides by 2, 5 and 10. > > Bill Potts, CMS > Roseville, CA > http://metric1.org [SI Navigator] > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On > Behalf Of Stephen Davis > Sent: Saturday, January 05, 2002 04:10 > To: U.S. Metric Association > Subject: [USMA:17209] Re: The number twelve and the universe!! > > > Oh, but there is, Daniel!! Although 10 only really divides itself into 2 > and 5, ALL other numbers divide evenly into 10!! > > All numbers from one to ten and beyond divide by ten!! Apart from 1, 2, 3, > 4, 6, every number divides by 10!! > > Add factors of 10 to all these numbers, eg, 2/10 =0.2, 20/10=2, 200/10=20, > 2000/10=200!! > > Try the same with 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,7,8, 12, 16 and see what happens!! > > 10's closest competitor in the division stakes is 2 and it pales next to 10, > which is the ultimate factor!! > > Yes 10 only divides by 2 and 10, but every other number divides by 10!! > > Regards, > > Steve. > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Daniel Bishop" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Saturday, January 05, 2002 6:06 AM > Subject: [USMA:17206] Re: The number twelve and the universe!! > > > > 2002-01-04 20:43:43, "Adrian Jadic" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > the 12 base system is limited and that the 10-base is better. > > > > Place-value notation applies equally well to all bases other than 0 and 1. > There's nothing special about base-10 except that it is the base we are most > familiar with. > > >
