Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by inglor_cz 708 days ago
"Celsius is nearly useless."

http://i.imgur.com/3ZidINK.png?1

For anyone not living in the US or Jamaica or Belize, it is Fahrenheit that is completely useless. Which is something like 7,7 billion people.

0 = water freezing temp is hugely useful heuristics for anyone living in moderate climate.
1 comments
rootusrootus 708 days ago
> For anyone not living in the US

So what I am hearing is that sure, it makes perfect sense for US citizens to continue using Fahrenheit.

link
inglor_cz 708 days ago
US residents...

If you, as a US citizen, settle abroad, be prepared to run into a wall with Fahrenheits. People in the rest of the world don't have the intuitive grasp whether 50 degrees Fahrenheit is warm or cold.

link
rootusrootus 708 days ago
> US residents

Yeah that's the right terminology. I knew it when I said citizens it wasn't quite right but I blanked on the right answer. 'Residents' is pretty obvious.

> be prepared to run into a wall with Fahrenheits

I agree it's worth knowing just enough about celsius to use it casually when you are traveling. e.g. I just remember 20 is room temperature and every 5C is about 10F. Close enough. And remembering '6' is enough to remember how km and miles are related.

Anyone who is settling abroad ought to be able to pick up intuitive celsius in a couple days. When everyone around you uses the same measuring unit, you adapt pretty quickly IME.

link