Base 30 is superior, as it is the sum product of consecutive primes without unnecessary duplication.
(Sorry about letting the side down, @Bunbain)
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The only imperial measurement that is more convenient in an everyday sense than its metric counterpart is temperature. Saying “10 centimeters” instead of “4 inches” isn’t that hard. I’m sure for the centi-fetishists, basing a temperature scale on the freezing and boiling points of water makes perfect sense. But we don’t live in water. Fahrenheit works much better for things that live in air. Fahrenheit is more precise, and more practical, unless you’re in a lab.
Everyone should check out the rest of Matthias’s videos. Like, right now.
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FTFY, no sarcasm, and I do agree with you (very partial to the number 5)
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“in this sort of warfare, no quarter is asked nor given”
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SI units or bust.
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I do, actually. I know that from memory because I convert volumetric liquids daily for TTB reporting. I wouldn’t have to if the US standardized metric.
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And the only thing that makes Fahrenheit “better” than Celsius is that the increments are smaller, but that’s why there are decimals folks. There is a reason that metric is standardized around one of the most abundant materials on earth. 0°-100° makes much more sense than 32°-212° (also figures I have to mentally convert daily).
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Fahrenheit is, in fact, based on 0 - 100. 0 being a very cold day to 100 being an very hot day. It far more accurately approximates general temperature ranges that people actually experience than Celsius, were the equivalent range is something like -18 to 38, which is just silly.
Celsius is nice if you choose to organize your life around freezing and boiling water. Outside of that, there’s not really any practical application.
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Yes, but dividing a meter into thirds when measuring out, say, cabinetry, is actually impossible.
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I think you’re missing the point of standardization. It’s not about someone’s highly fungible perception of “balmy”, but something that can be replicated (with known variances) literally anywhere on the planet with incredibly rudimentary equipment. The cross-standardization of units allows for not just convenience, but verification. Every single defense of SI is based on convenience due to a learned system, not because it’s inherently more convenient.
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That said, I have a particular fondness for simple prime series multiples (2, 6, 30, 210), but it turns out that they don’t actually align with the anti-primes:
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Where “everywhere in the planet” is exactly at sea level.
That’s why I mentioned variances. Knowing your elevation will allow you to offset the discrepancy. And again, interoperability between volume, weight and length will allow you to verify.
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I 100% understand the point. I just don’t care about it. I’d rather have a system in place that makes sense for day-to-day life. Fahrenheit is good for weather reports, which we consume every day, so I’m glad they’re expressed in Fahrenheit units.
I just disagree across the board that SI is more convenient for day to day life. Sorry. People don’t spend their days converting units. They work with a small handful of discreet measurements, and imperial measures tend to be more immediately convenient.
I totally accept that people in technical fields like scientists and engineers ought to use SI units, but the good news in the US is many of them do. The best of both worlds.
But if you had grown up using metric, it would be more convenient. I know I’m making assumptions about you here, but unless you’re from literally anywhere other than the USA, Myanmar or Liberia you would have used metric.
And yes, I know that certain nations use mixed units (miles for distance and liters for petrol in UK for instance). That’s just a whole other level of crazy.
ETA: I also want to make clear that I’m not knocking your preference. It doesn’t bother me in the least. What bothers me is the US insistence on all official business be conducted in Imperial and the impact it has on a temendous number of fields and the added expense and mistakes that it engenders.
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If you reduce imperial measures to the smallest unit, they get all whole numbery, no fractions required:
Unit twips
twip 1
point 20
line (poppy seed) 120
pica 240
barleycorn 480
digit 1080
inch 1440
stick 2880
nail 3240
palm 4320
hand 5760
shaftment 8640
span 12,960
foot 17,280
cubit 25,920
pace 43,200
yard 51,840
ell 64,800
step 86,400
fathom 103,680
rod 285,120
rope 345,600
Gunter’s chain 1,140,480
Shackle 1,555,200
Ramsden’s chain 1,728,000
Skein 6,220,800
Cable 10,368,000
Furlong 11,404,800
Roman Mile 86,400,000
Mile 91,238,400
Nautical Mile 103,680,000
Spindle 746,496,000
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You probably don’t like tea, either.
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The only proper number system is the primorial number system.
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I was raised using both systems but my sense of temperature is one that fell to the metric side. I literally have no idea what to wear after hearing the temperature in Fahrenheit. Conversely I have no idea how much someone who is 100 kilos weighs.
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oh yeah. I get metrics, but Celsius is just arbitrary. Why base it on water? Fahrenheit is a metric scale too. but it’s based on something that makes human sense. 100 degrees is too damn hot and 0 is too damn cold and we can pretty much live between those two and feel the numbers.
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