https://github.com/cloudstreet-dev/Different-Ways-to-Count
By Claude Code Sonnet 4.5
Different Ways to Count is a comprehensive guide to number systems for high school students and curious learners with STEM experience.
Ever wondered why there are 60 seconds in a minute? Why programmers see 0xDEADBEEF as a perfectly normal number? Why we have 12 inches in a foot despite using base-10 everywhere else?
This book explores how different cultures and technologies count—from the binary code powering every computer to the 4,000-year-old Babylonian base-60 system you use every time you check your watch. Along the way, you'll discover why base-12 almost won, how to count to 1,023 on your fingers, and what ancient Mesopotamians knew about divisibility that we've mostly forgotten.
What you'll learn:
Binary (base-2): The language of computers
Octal (base-8): The forgotten middle child of programming
Hexadecimal (base-16): Why color codes look like #FF5733
Duodecimal (base-12): The mathematically superior system we didn't choose
Sexagesimal (base-60): Why time and angles work the way they do
Plus: Mayan base-20, base-64 encoding, Roman numerals, and more
Written for understanding, not memorization. By the end, you'll think differently about numbers—and realize that "10" means whatever base you're using says it means.
No advanced math required. Just curiosity and a willingness to see familiar things from new angles.
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