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No Stupid Questions@lemmy.world · 2 months ago

Why don't compasses have just two Cardinal directions (North, East, -North, -East)?

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Why don't compasses have just two Cardinal directions (North, East, -North, -East)?

colourlesspony@pawb.social to

No Stupid Questions@lemmy.world · 2 months ago

Do we really need West and South when we can use negative North and negative East?

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Hadriscus
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2 months ago
I would not be surprised compasses were invented before negative numbers

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negative numbers : 200 BCE
compasses : as early as 202 BCE

(these are just from a cursory search, I am not a specialist)

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