Why are there 24 hours in a day?

[UDS]

@Rubystreak

There was a fascinating study done at Purdue regarding the biological basis for the 24 hour day schedule. Cells grow in 12 minute intervals, then rest for 12 minutes, and these reactions are apparently governed by a single protein. Thus, the 24 hour day is not merely a human construct; it appears to be hard-wired in most living organisms on the planet . . .

. . . because, of course, the minute is a fundamental constant of the universe, and not at all a human construct. :smack:

Cells only work on 12-minute cycles because we have already divided the day into twenty-four hours of sixty minutes each. If we divided the day into 20 “hours” of 100 “minutes” each, then cells would work on approximiately 17-“minute” cycles. Would this prove anything about the number 17?