Binary significant figures are better for measuring amount of information, no doubt. But since the numbers are written in the decimal base it is easier to work with decimal significant figures; the ‘instruments’ for measuring life expectancy are statistical surveys which are usually conducted in base 10 (although the units are years, which aren’t particularly SI).
Binary significant figures are better for measuring amount of information, no doubt. But since the numbers are written in the decimal base it is easier to work with decimal significant figures; the ‘instruments’ for measuring life expectancy are statistical surveys which are usually conducted in base 10 (although the units are years, which aren’t particularly SI).