[SOC] Off topic observations and a question

[Paul Bartlett]

Hi Gangs,

I've been somewhat unwell in recent weeks and months and this has caused my 
mind to wander.

I've become interested in the number 12 and its repeated occurence in our 
lives.

There are a couple of reasons I've identified why we use dozens to count 
items. The earliest explanation that I have found is that the Babylonians 
used to count using their knuckles. You have twelve on your fingers so you 
can run up each finger in turn up to twelve.

Then there was the Roman military practice of packing supplies in multiples 
of twelve. It's a matter of prime factors. With twelve of any particular 
item you can distribute six items to two soldiers, four items to three, 
three items to four, two items to six,  or all twelve to one.

And now the one than confuses me. Why are there fourteen pounds in a stone?

Paul M3CRQ