this post was submitted on 08 Oct 2024
64 points (88.1% liked)

Showerthoughts

29568 readers
1033 users here now

A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The best ones are thoughts that many people can relate to and they find something funny or interesting in regular stuff.

Rules

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

... That's why it's so difficult to remember to do someting every 2nd or 3rd day.

Remembering to do something each day or every 7th day (e.g. every Friday) on the other hand is easy.

top 13 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] ValiantDust@feddit.org 38 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

For a few glorious years there was an alternative that solved all your problems: The French Revolutionary calendar

10 days per week, 10 hours per day, 100 minutes per hour, 100 seconds per minute.

The French were serious about the decimal system (thanks for the kilograms though).

[–] lord_ryvan@ttrpg.network 13 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I sincerely want 10h100m100s days, our current imperial system is so shit.

But then, I do appreciate essentially the entire world being on board with 24h60m60s, that does ease things up a bit.

[–] ValiantDust@feddit.org 11 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Much as I love the metric system, I kinda think the moment for changing time units has passed. At the latest when computers became a thing, probably even before that.

And 12 based systems have the advantage of having having many divisors which is very neat as well. You can divide an hour by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30 and 60 and end up with an even number of minutes. Then again with a decimal system fractions wouldn't be so bad.

[–] lord_ryvan@ttrpg.network 3 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

I'd prefer base 12, but with given the current state of numeric affairs I'd much prefer metric time over using metric for everything except time (and screen diagonals)

That way, with decimal time, large scale planning becomes much easier to grasp. This part of the project takes 3.475 days (=3 days, 4 hours and 75 minutes), 200€/h from the customer makes that part days × 2000€ = 6950€...

(and that way I'd just know my laptop's screen size is 40cm instead of it being marketed as 15.6 Unicorn units while actually being closer to 15.75🦄)

[–] ValiantDust@feddit.org 2 points 3 weeks ago

I'd prefer if it already was decimal time. As you said it would integrate with the rest of the metric system much more smoothly.

But as a software developer the thought of changing it now gives me anxiety. Time is so much more immediately integrated into systems than distances or currencies.

[–] XeroxCool@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

While I do understand the better divisibility of base 12 and base 60 providing more whole numbers, I don't know if it really helps anything. 1/6 of 12 is 2 and 1/6 of 10 is 1.666, so on paper, 12 looks clean. But I can't really gauge dividing something into 1/6 physically any better than if I just try to fill 6 pots equally. Did it really take that long for decimals to be invented?

The again, it's too late in the afternoon for me to do 10/6 so I used a calculator. I guess it does help.

[–] TranquilTurbulence@lemmy.zip 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Dividing things neatly appeals to some part of the human brain that appreciates order and structures. There’s a certain type of beauty in it. However, when you’re actually measuring, cutting and building stuff, you end up with really messy values, as you are dealing with harsh reality instead of some ideal fantasy.

[–] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago

Building also ends up weird because the size was based on what ancient Romans did which obviously wasn't based on any modern system.

[–] AdamEatsAss@lemmy.world 13 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Some months have a prime number of days.

[–] 9point6@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago

Another one only sometimes does

[–] PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee 8 points 3 weeks ago

There are now at least a dozen calendar reformists edging on posting a rant about this lol.

Worth noting though that this has mostly stuck around because any attempt to switch to a more divisible week structure is met with resistance from Christians and Jews since going off 7s messes with their calendars.

Of course you could use just two liminal days inserted outside of the standard month or week and basically have a calendar where holidays stop jumping dates.

[–] gedaliyah@lemmy.world 3 points 3 weeks ago

Username checks out

[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee 2 points 3 weeks ago

Actually this incentivizes everyone to have the same periodicity to their recurring tasks. It makes it easier to remember others’ habit schedules.