The number of finger joints on each hand (excluding the thumb) makes it possible to count to 12 by using the thumb. Egyptians and Babylonians were fond of counting in base twelve like this and this is basically why we have 24 hours in a day and 60 minutes in an hour.

In base 12 (duodecimal), we add two extra digits after 9: 𝒳 (dek) and Ɛ (el). After Ɛ, we reach 10. By counting finger segments instead of fingers, you can count up to 12 on just one hand. This system improves our ability to count and makes it more intuitive.🧵

"The duodecimal tables are easy to master, easier than the decimal ones; and in elementary teaching, they would be so much more interesting, since young children would find more fascinating things to do with twelve rods or blocks than with ten." — A. C. Aitken

Here’s a comparison of base 12 and base 10 numbers. Base 12 is more efficient for scaling large quantities, as it reaches higher values with fewer digits than base 10.

"10" means 9+1 in base 10 (decimal), and "10" means 9+3 in base 12 (duodecimal).

Pi in base 12 is 3.184809493E91... The first 1000 digits are shown below.

The number 12 has six factors: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12, with 2 and 3 being prime. It's the smallest number with six factors, the largest with at least half of the numbers below it as factors. This is why it would make a great base for a number system.

Germanic languages, like English, are suited for base 12. In English, "teen" starts at 13, and 11 is not pronounced "oneteen" or "eleventeen." Ten, eleven, and twelve are unique, with twelve being the last before "teen" begins, showing how Germanic languages align with base 12.

Google search interest since 2014 for duodecimal and dozenal.

Google search interest of 'base 12' since 2004🚀