• affiliate@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    this would also be society if counterclockwise and clockwise were swapped. it’s the universal way to talk about 2d rotations but pretty much nothing (except a clock) ends up turning clockwise. it didn’t have to be this way

    • fishos@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Ummm… Have you ever used a screw? Bottle cap? “Right tighty, lefty loosey”? A car wheel when going forward? Literally 99% of things tighten clockwise.

      You’re the person people have to say “no, your other left” a lot to, aren’t ya?

      • SqueakyBeaver@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        2 months ago

        Just wanna say, a car tire moves a different direction based on your perspective.

        If you’re looking at the driver side of the car, the tires move counterclockwise, whereas if you’re looking at the other side, the tires appear to rotate the other way.

        Perspective changes a lot of things, it’s pretty cool.

        edit: Driver side in my case is (when viewed from the back) the left side

      • affiliate@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        i don’t ever use bottle caps or cars. but in the case of screws (and bottle caps), the choice to make them tighten clockwise and loosen counter clockwise is entirely arbitrary.

        my main point is that i think it’s confusing that clockwise is negatively oriented and counterclockwise is positively oriented (in the mathematical sense). and the mathematical definition of orientation is ultimately dependent on trigonometry. and it just feels wrong that clocks are negatively oriented.

        You’re the person people have to say “no, your other left” a lot to, aren’t ya?

        no.

    • cartoon meme dog@lemm.ee
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      2 months ago

      that’s not arbitrary - the hour hand of a clock mimics the shadow of a sundial.

      it makes sense, in the northern hemisphere, where 90% of people live.