memes

At least our hours are the same length regardless of latitude now, so let's be grateful for that.

IIRC they counted the bones in their fingers using their thumb and that gives 12. The first sundial was around the equator and there is always light for half a day, so half a day becomes 12 hours.

To count large numbers often one hand was used to count using 5 fingers and the other to count the bones, so you get 5x12 for 60 minutes.

The french:

If the day started at 1:00 then by the second hour you would be at 2:00, even though only 1 hour has passed. Effectively the day starts at 0. In fact in 24-hour time that is how it's depicted, 00:00 with midday being depicted as 12:00, so it isn't confusing

I only recently learned the etymology of the word: "second"

Its name comes from being the "second" division of the hour, with the minute being the first.

Days start at 0h, not 12h

It can't start at 12 hours if there are 24 segments.

And keep your letters out of it too.

Don't listen to OP's bullshit.

They work for big clock. They're trying to convince you 12 hour clock is useless so they can sell you double the clock.

We have Babylon to thank for this

Clocks should use 24h format. AM/PM is completely useless.

Somebody never had a clock with roman numerals and it shows

I remember getting into an argument with a grade school teacher over IIII because most such clocks put that for 4 instead of IV because of some fuckin reason

Sundials.

Now if you want to get really pissed, the magnetic North Pole is actually the South Pole of the Earth’s magnetic field. We call it the North Pole because the north side of a magnet points to it.

Somebody gave me this clock…I just need the time.

The 6 means 30, both of which also mean 1/2

It's the same logic that was used by ancient astronomers to arrive at 360 degrees for a full revolution.

The math is easier if you have to do it by hand.

When I become dictator of the world, this will be the new time unit: https://metric-time.com/

The year will also have 13 months: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Fixed_Calendar

The year will be 12025: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocene_calendar

Because these things just make more sense. You will thank me after a few generations, because habits are hard to change.

Also why clockwise?

Earth rotates and orbits counter clockwise. It just seems more right

If you want to be mad about time then I'd like to introduce you to a little thing I like to call the Gregorian calendar.

I'll be there at H:00.

Hour hand -> hour = n
Minute hand -> minute = n * 5
It makes sense, there's just an algorithm attached to each pointer.

Hour -> 3 = 3
Minute -> 3 = 3 * 5 = 15

Gift from ancient Mesopotamia. Mesopotamians love 12 & base 60. They also liked 7. Those numbers recur in their mythology.

Americans have a weird fixation with 💯. Where Americans might use percentages, I've seen Japanese plot values in [0, 1] (ie, pure proportions).