Some people argued that 2000 was not the start of the new millennium. Their argument was that the new millennium began in 2001. I think these same people are now arguing that we are not in the new decade yet, not until 2011.
I think my idea of an explanation works.
If there is no zero year, if it's not counted as a number and 2001 was the first year of the new millennium and 2011 is the first year of the new millennium can I ask, how old is a baby when it is 1 hour or 364 days old? The baby is not one year old. The baby is zero years old. However, the baby is in its first year.
When the child is 10 the child has lived ten years. The second after the child is 10 it is in its eleventh year, it's second decade of life.
Does that work as an explanation? Tell me if I've missed something.
Oh crumbs. Now I've looked up BC and AD and I see that there was no year zero. It jumped from 1BC to 1AD... oh noes!
7 comments:
Some people argued that 2000 was not the start of the new millennium. Their argument was that the new millennium began in 2001. I think these same people are now arguing that we are not in the new decade yet, not until 2011.
Correct if you use a decimal counting system.
First decade - years 1 - 10
First century - years 1 - 100
First millennium - years 1 - 1000
Second decade - years 11 - 20
Second century - years 101 - 200
Second millennium - years 1001 - 2000
and so on ..
But apparently that's not as much fun as celebrating a roll over of the counter 2009 - 2010 much like the odometer of the car. Now that's something I always celebrate. How about you?
LOL
I think we have long ignored the facts on these things Kae.
We're human, we like the round numbers.
Someone buggered up the calender. Not our fault, no reason for us to suffer.
Happy new year, happy new decade!
Caz - Precisely and while we are about it I want my eleven days back. So give us back our eleven days!
And just pity that poor druids .. of course I blame George Bush and Global Warming - it must be both of them - screwing the calendar and confusing the druids about the timing of the Winter solstice.
Wand - 11 minutes?
Huh! That's nothing.
In adjusting to various calendars over the millenarian, and adjusting to the modern calendar in particular, some countries have gone to bed one night and woken up months later the very next morning. Jeez that would be confusing.
Just like that, a simple decree: sorry folks, you'll go to bed when it's April, and when you wake up it will be the first of October.
Seriously, it has happened.
Saudis driving Aus export V8 Caprices (non speed-limited?) at over 280km/h http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU4YAfQWkrA&feature=related
I imagine they have a phenomenal road toll ...
I agree with Wand (as always).
I'd rather talk about V8s, but try this:
If you accept that there are 10 years in a decade, then 10 x 365 days must pass (plus 2 for a couple of leap years). That makes 3652 days in a decade.
You can start the decade wherever you like, but once you decide on that start date, you have to finish the decade 3652 days later.
As for calendar decades, they should start on the first day in the calendar, that is January 1st in Year 1.
The first decade will end 3652 days later on 31 Dec, Year 10.
1st January Year 11 will be the start of the second decade.
Egg - if you're suggesting that speed limits and the road toll are linked, they are not. Speed limits are merely a way for the State to extort money from the public, all for the sake of the children of course.
Anyway, how about this
Happy New Year everyone.
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