Hacker News Reader

> the units allow for common use of integer multiples of simple fractions.

What does that mean? Isn't "use of multiples of fractions" a property of numbers in general?

> For some people, a simple fraction of a relatable unit really is easier to deal with than a base ten decimal

What's easier is what you're used to. That's the whole point.

12 can be evenly divided into thirds and quarters, but 10 cannot. It is more likely that something will need to be divided 2 or 3 ways than 5 ways.

True, yet most of the rest of the world seem to be suffering any from this 'deficiency'.

10 can be divided in third and quarter fine. It does 10/3 and 10/4=2.5. Well, 10/3 isn't round so people don't like it but neither is 1/3 of an inch. It's not because a lot of operations suddenly become doable with numbers that you magically lose the usage of fractions.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com