Not all that common in human languages nor in the imperial nor US system. 20 ounces in an imperial pint, 20 hundredweights in a ton, 20 penny weights in a troy ounce & 20 grains in a scruple ... I think that's about it.
Weights and measures
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> You will find base 20 very common in human languages. Quatre-vingts?
You have a point here, but by and large we still think in tens. The French still use a base 10 system when using Arabic numerals, and I'd argue the French numerals are based much more on base 10 than base 20. For instance, "cinq mille" is 5000 in base 10, not in base 20.
- Kef
You have a point here, but by and large we still think in tens. The French still use a base 10 system when using Arabic numerals, and I'd argue the French numerals are based much more on base 10 than base 20. For instance, "cinq mille" is 5000 in base 10, not in base 20.
- Kef
David: Yes I do know someone who has had a baby - my Mum. Apparently I tipped the scales in imperial (this was in 1982) and about 6lbs or some such. I don't know for sure if maternity units now weigh the screaming wee bairns in metric or not but I know a guy who does so I shall report back. Apparently the average new born is c.3500g.
I am totally metricated (painless if executed at a very early age) as that was how I was taught throughout my education, and that is now standard in schools all over the UK....imperials no long feature in UK education at all. Why the heck the UK continues to complicate matters by hanging on to archaic imperials on a casual non-official basis and thus allowing people to still "think" in imperial is beyond me. All or nothing it should be and imperials belong in the annals of the British Museum.
http://www.metric.org.uk/why/endorsements.htm
I am totally metricated (painless if executed at a very early age) as that was how I was taught throughout my education, and that is now standard in schools all over the UK....imperials no long feature in UK education at all. Why the heck the UK continues to complicate matters by hanging on to archaic imperials on a casual non-official basis and thus allowing people to still "think" in imperial is beyond me. All or nothing it should be and imperials belong in the annals of the British Museum.
http://www.metric.org.uk/why/endorsements.htm
>>I am totally metricated (painless if executed at a very early age)<<
What an excellent idea! The earlier the kids are executed the better.
You are missing the point that the reason why you were educated in metric rather than Imperial is owing to the treachery of successive UK governments who have sought to rob us of our culture. Why do you keep voting for them?
What an excellent idea! The earlier the kids are executed the better.
You are missing the point that the reason why you were educated in metric rather than Imperial is owing to the treachery of successive UK governments who have sought to rob us of our culture. Why do you keep voting for them?
<<Not all that common in human language...>>
Base ten is extremely common in human languages. It's used, for example, in most Chinese languages; in Japanese, Thai, and Vietnamese; in Quechua and Aymara; and in most Indo-European languages.
Base ten is extremely common in human languages. It's used, for example, in most Chinese languages; in Japanese, Thai, and Vietnamese; in Quechua and Aymara; and in most Indo-European languages.
"Irish Gaelic also counts in 20s" interesting, is there a special word for 100 though, or is it just called something along the lines of "tenty" (i.e. "... eighty-one, eighty-two, ... eighty-nine, eighty-ten, eighty-eleven, eighty-twelve, ... eighty-nineteen, tenty, tenty-one, tenty-two, ... tenty-nineteen, twelvety, ... fourteenty, ... eighteenty-nineteen, one quandred ..." (where quandred is a name for 400, i.e 20x20)).
Decimal = meaning units of ten. A natural and easy way of measuring any unit.
The gobble-de-gook of antediluvian imperial measures with the whole mish-mash of 12s and scores and grosses and 240s and multiples of 12 and 16 and ounces and yards and gills and gallons and quarts and miles and fathoms all that kind of history book rubbish should be finally once and for all be dumped in a council skip.
Ten - look at your hands - how many digits do you see? Natural. Nuff sed.
The gobble-de-gook of antediluvian imperial measures with the whole mish-mash of 12s and scores and grosses and 240s and multiples of 12 and 16 and ounces and yards and gills and gallons and quarts and miles and fathoms all that kind of history book rubbish should be finally once and for all be dumped in a council skip.
Ten - look at your hands - how many digits do you see? Natural. Nuff sed.
Damian, you're forgetting your toes - as well as discriminating against people with 6 fingers (I forget what they are called) on each hand.
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