Asked by: Ravi Teja, London
The most obvious answer is – as Aristotle pointed out – that we have 10 fingers, which we can use for counting and displaying the results. This may be why many cultures have adopted the decimal system, but it’s not a watertight argument: some Native American tribes decided single hands are enough, resulting in quinary counting systems based on units of five.
Follow Science Focus on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Flipboard
Latest
Science Focus Podcast Is there really no such thing as a fish?
SpaceX Starlink The controversial satellite constellation
