About an hour. That is how long we are told so many projects, tasks and activities will take. An hour has seemingly become the universal measurement for getting things done. And, like most estimates, it is usually optimistic.
Think about it. A church service typically lasts an hour. Television dramas are an hour. School classes are an hour, with just enough time to sprint to the next one. Work meetings are often scheduled for an hour, which is interesting because some could be accomplished in 10 minutes and others seem to last three days. Massages are typically an hour. Even our lunch breaks are one hour, although most of us spend at least 15 minutes deciding what to eat.
Years ago, when we had film developed, some photo labs bragged about one-hour service. Eyeglass shops still promote one-hour glasses. Heating and cooling companies promise to have someone at your home within an hour. Our speeding laws are based on miles per hour. And many of us are paid by the hour, which gives us a pretty good reason to pay attention to the clock.
So, what is so special about 60 minutes? Why not 50? Or 75? Why did humanity settle on an hour instead of something more convenient, like the length of time it takes me to find my car keys?
The answer goes back thousands of years to the Sumerians, who used a numbering system based on 60, known as sexagesimal. According to Live Science, there are several theories about why they chose that number.
One theory involves fingers. Ancient people could count to 12 on one hand by using their thumb to touch the three segments of each of their four fingers. Using the five fingers on the other hand as multipliers allowed them to reach 60. I have trouble counting past 10 without taking off my shoes, so I am impressed.
Another theory is that 60 works nicely with fractions. It is divisible by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20 and 30. That makes dividing things into portions much easier. The Sumerians apparently appreciated a good mathematical shortcut. I appreciate any shortcut that does not involve math.
A third theory involves the importance of 12 in their culture. There are roughly 12 lunar cycles in a year, and the zodiac has 12 constellations. The Sumerians also divided daylight and darkness into 12 periods each, creating the 24-hour day we still use.
So, there you have it. Twelve connects to 60, which connects to minutes, which connects to the hour. Thousands of years later, we are still following their lead.
I suppose I should be grateful. Without that system, we might be scheduling 73-minute meetings or waiting 48 minutes for our lunch breaks.
And if you are still trying to wrap your head around all this, don’t worry. Take an hour to think about it.
Have a fantastic Friday and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital newsletter
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707