YAMT (yet another metric thread)

[DrPizza]

Hypothesis: The rest of the industrialized world is better than the United States in mathematics because they don't have to spend as much time in school learning the stupid system used in the United States (and no where else); thus leaving more time to concentrate on learning mathematics.

😛 🙂

 

[dighn]

well, at best it would be wasted effort because I'm sure the US will completely switch over to metric some day.

 

[AccruedExpenditure]

Originally posted by: dighn
well, at best it would be wasted effort because I'm sure the US will completely switch over to metric some day.

let variable some day = never and your statement makes sense

 

[dighn]

Originally posted by: AccruedExpenditure

Originally posted by: dighn
well, at best it would be wasted effort because I'm sure the US will completely switch over to metric some day.

let variable some day = never and your statement makes sense

nah I think the US will be around for a long time 😉

 

[DrPizza]

I still remember the switch for beverages... My grandfather was really irritated about it, but after I explained that a liter was the same price as a quart, but the liter had almost 2 more ounces in it, so he was getting a better bargain, he was happy.

 

[dugweb]

I love how people will go off on how much better celsius is than fahrenheit when all it has going for it is that freezing is 0, and boiling is 100... which somehow makes it the ultimate measurement of tempurature 😕

What's even funnier than that is how riled up everyone was getting in the other thread, when it's simply a matter of preference. It's like arguing over what's better, jeans or khakis

 

[DrPizza]

dugweb, I'll agree with you on the difference between C and F... both systems are based on arbitrary amounts.
However, in doing meaningful science, especially estimating, the entire metric system is far superior to what's used in the U.S.

Besides, we use the metric system in many ways in the U.S. without realizing we do.. Just tell a few of the zealots who refuse to accept metric's superiority that the watts labeled on their lightbulbs are a metric unit. They'll lobby congress to have power usage on appliances switched to horsepower 😛

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: dugweb
I love how people will go off on how much better celsius is than fahrenheit when all it has going for it is that freezing is 0, and boiling is 100... which somehow makes it the ultimate measurement of tempurature 😕

But what does Fahrenheit have going for it?

 

[dugweb]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: dugweb
I love how people will go off on how much better celsius is than fahrenheit when all it has going for it is that freezing is 0, and boiling is 100... which somehow makes it the ultimate measurement of tempurature 😕

But what does Fahrenheit have going for it?

I am more comfortable with it than celsius. 🙂

 

[eelw]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
Just tell a few of the zealots who refuse to accept metric's superiority that the watts labeled on their lightbulbs are a metric unit. They'll lobby congress to have power usage on appliances switched to horsepower 😛

LOL

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: eelw

Originally posted by: DrPizza
Just tell a few of the zealots who refuse to accept metric's superiority that the watts labeled on their lightbulbs are a metric unit. They'll lobby congress to have power usage on appliances switched to horsepower 😛

LOL

I use 1/10 HP lightbulbs 🙂

Actually, now that I think about it, that would be helpful to have everything either in Watts exclusively, or horsepower. I hate buying 1/4 horsepower motors and having to think about how it's going to affect my electric bill.

 

[KillerCharlie]

Oh please, blaming the failure of US education in math on unit systems? Good grief. If anything using imperial should make you better - you have to learn to convert between different quantities more often.

 

[KillerCharlie]

Originally posted by: dugweb

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: dugweb
I love how people will go off on how much better celsius is than fahrenheit when all it has going for it is that freezing is 0, and boiling is 100... which somehow makes it the ultimate measurement of tempurature 😕

But what does Fahrenheit have going for it?

I am more comfortable with it than celsius. 🙂

Both scales suck since they're not absolute. Kelvin or Rankine FTW!

 

[alphatarget1]

units are arbitary. With that said, metric is easier to calc things in.

 

[coolVariable]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
Hypothesis: The rest of the industrialized world is better than the United States in mathematics because they don't have to spend as much time in school learning the stupid system used in the United States (and no where else); thus leaving more time to concentrate on learning mathematics.

😛 🙂

You forgot the time spent on brainwashing idiots to think that the US system makes sense.

 

[UlricT]

to argue for C, its just K+273...

 

[coomar]

Originally posted by: dugweb

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: dugweb
I love how people will go off on how much better celsius is than fahrenheit when all it has going for it is that freezing is 0, and boiling is 100... which somehow makes it the ultimate measurement of tempurature 😕

But what does Fahrenheit have going for it?

I am more comfortable with it than celsius. 🙂

far more people are comfortable with the metric system

they are both arbitary systems but by every measure, the metric system is superior

but the OP's statement is false, by that logic, parts of Canada that have to learn both would be even worse

I've just ended up having to memorize conversion factors like 62.4

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Metric=learn decimals
Standard=learn fractions

 

[dullard]

DrPizza, I'll agree with you the day we switch to a calendar based on multiples of 10 (yes one exists). Until then, we are so inefficient since any other multiples are horrible. Same goes with the clock. Students can't learn 60s and 24s.

Originally posted by: jagec
But what does Fahrenheit have going for it?

Virtually all of the inhabited world is between 0°F and 100°F on most days. Below 0°F is very cold, very miserable, and very dangerous. Above 100°F is very hot, very miserable, and very dangerous. Between 0°F and 100°F, the temperatures are tolerable and generally safe for long periods outside. A body temperature above 100°F and you are sick with a fever. Plus, 1°F is the minimum temperature difference that people can notice. People can just barely tell the difference between 70°F and 71°F. 1°F is a "humanized" interval.

Lets do the same thing with Celsius: Below -18°C is very cold. Above 38°C is very hot. People can just barely notice changes in temperature at 0.5°C intervals. Yep, those are real convenient numbers to memorize.

But no, there is nothing going for it. 😉 What is more useful for most people to know: the weather and how to dress for today or the exact point where water boils?

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: dugweb
I love how people will go off on how much better celsius is than fahrenheit when all it has going for it is that freezing is 0, and boiling is 100... which somehow makes it the ultimate measurement of tempurature 😕

What's even funnier than that is how riled up everyone was getting in the other thread, when it's simply a matter of preference. It's like arguing over what's better, jeans or khakis

right, that's all it is, an arbitrary standard, HENCE why keep the stupid archaic one?

 

[PlatinumGold]

Originally posted by: KillerCharlie

Originally posted by: dugweb

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: dugweb
I love how people will go off on how much better celsius is than fahrenheit when all it has going for it is that freezing is 0, and boiling is 100... which somehow makes it the ultimate measurement of tempurature 😕

But what does Fahrenheit have going for it?

I am more comfortable with it than celsius. 🙂

Both scales suck since they're not absolute. Kelvin or Rankine FTW!

celsius is based on kelvin, just simplified for real life situations. how is that bad?

 

[bonkers325]

math education sucks in the US because the schools insist on teaching theory before application on higher level math. few people have problems with trig, algebra, but when we delve into calculus people become 😕 because of the theorems

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: dullard
Lets do the same thing with Celsius: Below -18°C is very cold. Above 38°C is very hot. People can just barely notice changes in temperature at 0.5°C intervals. Yep, those are real convenient numbers to memorize.

But no, there is nothing going for it. 😉 What is more useful for most people to know: the weather and how to dress for today or the exact point where water boils?

Au contraire, below 10 C is too cold, and above 30 C is too hot. 0 F is way too cold.

But you're complaining about two small numbers that are hardly necessary to "memorize" in the first place? I certainly hope your phone number is 555-0000, so as not to strain your memory. The only reason why "70" and not "20" screams "hey, nice temperature. T-shirt and jeans today" is because you're used to temps in °F. 70 is not innately more "humanized."

 

[JRich]

I can use fractions 🙂

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: jagec
Au contraire, below 10 C is too cold, and above 30 C is too hot. 0 F is way too cold.

10°C is still short and tee-shirt weather.

And you provided no reason that Celsius is actually better.