Three Babylonian Approximations
Error 1: Amino Acids
Babylonian count: 20 (fits base-60: 20 = 60/3)
Actual count: 21 (Fibonacci F(8))
Why wrong: Base-60 approximation, not natural count
Error 2: Lunar Months
Babylonian calendar: 12 months (fits base-60: 12 = 60/5)
Actual lunar year: 13 months (354 days ÷ 27.3 days)
Fibonacci: F(7) = 13
Why wrong: 12 is easier in base-60 sexagesimal system
Error 3: Circle Degrees
Babylonian convention: 360° (fits base-60: 6 × 60)
Natural angle: 137.5° golden angle
Why wrong: Nature doesn't use 360°, humans do
Correction: 360° × (1 - 1/φ) = 137.5° (what nature actually uses)
Historical Impact
Babylonian base-60 system (~4000 BCE) influenced all subsequent civilizations.
Why base-60?
60 = 2² × 3 × 5
Highly divisible: 1,2,3,4,5,6,10,12,15,20,30,60
Useful for commerce, astronomy
Unintended consequence:
Natural Fibonacci numbers "rounded" to base-60 multiples
21 → 20 (easier division)
13 → 12 (easier calendar)
137.5° → 360° (complete circle convention)
Modern recovery:
With precise measurement, we find nature uses φ-based numbers
Babylonian approximations were close, but not exact