Six works because you don’t need a figure for the base. Thus, zero to five fingers on one hand, then drop all five and raise one on the other to make six. (Plus, you get easy divisibility by seven, which beats easy divisibility by eleven.)
Edit: Binary, the logical extension of the above principle, has the problem that the ring finger and pinky have a mechanical connection, besides the obvious 132decimal issue. ;)
I could see eight, but why six?
Six works because you don’t need a figure for the base. Thus, zero to five fingers on one hand, then drop all five and raise one on the other to make six. (Plus, you get easy divisibility by seven, which beats easy divisibility by eleven.)
Edit: Binary, the logical extension of the above principle, has the problem that the ring finger and pinky have a mechanical connection, besides the obvious 132decimal issue. ;)
I don’t see how eight comes in, though.
Eight would be if you counted your fingers with the thumb of the same hand.
I see—I count by raising fingers, so that method didn’t occur to me.
There’s are websites dedicated to making Base 12 the standard. Same principle as making Base 6.
Nature’s Numbers
Dozenal Society
Simplest explanation—its possible to divvy 12 up in more whole fractions than the number 10.