9.16-Response-History of time calculations, base 60 and base 12

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The Babylonian system used a base-60 system for numerals, which still influences how we divide time into 60 seconds and 60 minutes. The second article discusses how divisions of hours, minutes, and seconds evolved for practical reasons. Unlike natural time divisions, which feel fluid and seasonal to me, these modern measurements have more rigidity, shaped by human needs. Reflecting on these, I see a tension between time as an infinite continuum versus the imposed grids of hours or minutes—human inventions that attempt to control something fundamentally uncontrollable.

The two perspectives make me reconsider how much time-keeping systems blend arbitrary invention with natural rhythm, and how my daily life sometimes feels constrained by one more than the other.

Combined with the life experience of the Chinese people, the measurement of time in agricultural societies relies more on natural cycles and astronomical phenomena, such as the four seasons and the twenty-four solar terms. This concept of time has similarities to the Babylonian base 60 system, which was based on astronomy, specifically the movement of the moon and sun. However, the Babylonian approach to digitization reflected a need for precise measurements that was less prominent in ancient China, where people focused more on long-term changes.





Surprisingly, the way Babylon kept time more than 6,000 years ago has survived in our clocks today. This ancient system permeates every hour and minute of our modern lives. In contrast, the traditional Chinese view of time is more related to solar terms and agricultural times, while the Babylonians' innovation is closer to our current pursuit of "accuracy." Modern society relies heavily on strict time units to organize work and life, which is in contrast to the traditional Chinese flexible time view. For example, in the past, Chinese people relied more on the rising and setting of the sun and agricultural times than on the precise minutes and seconds of the clock. This freedom seems to be disappearing now.

What surprises me most is that the fine division of minutes and seconds we have today actually originated from a decision made 6,000 years ago.

Comments

  1. Erica HuangSeptember 24, 2024 at 2:44 PM

    Thanks for the thoughtful response, Nanxi! I like how you are making connections to your Chinese heritage in the reflection. Great comparison to the Chinese twenty-four solar terms, and how, in general, the traditional Chinese view of time is more based on natural cycles and astronomical phenomena.

    ReplyDelete

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