[yedpodtrzitko]

How about multiplying? Do quickly 10 * 10 * 10 * 10 vs. 12 * 12 * 12 * 12

[maxerickson]

That's just familiarity.

If you write it out in base 12, it looks like 10 * 10 * 10 * 10 = 10,000. I can't tell you what number that is in English without working it out of course.

[devnullbrain]

Both are the same in their own base. 9+1 isn't inherently easier in arbitrary bases - do you know what 10000 is in hexadecimal without working it out?

[leereeves]

> do you know what 10000 is in hexadecimal without working it out?

I do, because it's 2^16, a very important number in computer science (though less important now). But I won't spoil it by giving the answer.

[atomicnumber3]

12 * 12 * 12 * 12 in base 12 is 10 * 10 * 10 * 10 though, it's exactly as easy.

[mfcl]

But in base 12 the number 12 would be written as 10. 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, a, b, 10, 11, etc.

[pushedx]

10 * 10 * 10 * 10 in base 12 is 10000.

<12> * <12> * <12> * <12> in base 12 is 10000

Assuming that you mean the decimal number "12" and not the number 12 in base 12 which is the decimal number 14.

In base 12 the number 12 is written "10"

[nicoburns]

If you add extra numerals for eleven and twelve (lets say A and B) then 12 (base ten) is written 10 (base twelve) and multiplying in base twelve becomes just as easy as multiplying in base ten usually is.

[jader201]

This would be much easier if our numeric system was also base 12. Then 10*10 is still 100 (but that’s 144 in decimal).

Edit: lol responses explode within 60 seconds saying the same thing.

[chillingeffect]

Sure: c000.

It's only hard bc your "12" is in base 10. In the proper base it's easy.

[davrosthedalek]

In what base do you think c000 is 12*12*12*12?

[Glyptodon]

In base twelve would the symbols being in base not help you, like & is 12, &0 is 144, &00 is 1728 or something? And if the symbols made that natural would we not start finding it intuitive just because 144 would have an in base name like twun or something so you could easily say twelve, twun, twund, twend, or whatever and just add digits like with base 10? (Just making up short syllables that start with "tw".) I think I'm slightly off with my two second example because I'm not sure what && means without thinking more, but main point is just that wouldn't we have a means of making it easy to do quickly in base if that were the common base?

Edit: yeah, wanting to add a symbol for twelve instead of two more symbols before 10 in base twelve is my hasty mistake.

[bdowling]

Nerd sniping? Not this time, buddy.

https://xkcd.com/356/

Edit: You got nine of us with one comment. You win.

[Dylan16807]

It's not nerd sniping if they can answer it in 3 seconds.

[2muchcoffeeman]

I suppose you’d get used to it eventually. But the first line of this post is silly. Another reason the author doesn’t like metric is base ten.

Do you know how many feet are in a mile? The answer is: Who cares.

The fact that you could pick a better base is irrelevant. They had their chance and came up with some silly numbers to scale from an inch to feet to yards to miles.

Metric: Just remember the base unit. Want a new unit? You change the prefix and move the dot appropriately. You can now scale down to atoms or up to galaxies with a single base unit.

[jprete]

The imperial units were basically picked for usefulness in commerce. They're not as arbitrary as they seem.