21–30 of 101 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
While I'm an American engineer who prefers working in metric, since this is a space-related article I have to point you to this: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/69/ae/01/69ae0104b...
And I have to point to this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Climate_Orbiter#Cause_of_...
Shit happens. Want me to point to the Beagle probe? Space isn't easy.
Fascinating! However, I get the cringes every time an article about space exploration uses those atavistic units like Royal Hangnails (length), Princely Bladders (volume), Regal Farts (speed) and Fornicating Fever (temperature) for measurement. Hasn't the metric system arrived yet on planet USA?
Yes it has! It conquered our soda industry and then gave up.
It is strange now that I think about it that we have imperial measurements for milk but metric measurements for sugary drinks/beer.
Fascinating! However, I get the cringes every time an article about space exploration uses those atavistic units like Royal Hangnails (length), Princely Bladders (volume), Regal Farts (speed) and Fornicating Fever (temperature) for measurement. Hasn't the metric system arrived yet on planet USA?
While I'm an American engineer who prefers working in metric, since this is a space-related article I have to point you to this: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/69/ae/01/69ae0104b...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
While I'm an American engineer who prefers working in metric, since this is a space-related article I have to point you to this: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/69/ae/01/69ae0104b...
And I have to point to this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Climate_Orbiter#Cause_of_...
It's not too much of a surprise, both elements that go into water are plentiful and not particularly heavy, and both want to bind to something.
- oxygen just as readily binds to everything else, to form metal oxides (the well-known rust on Mars) or silicates (rock) or just CO2 (Venus)
- hydrogen is so light it readily escapes into space from anything smaller than Earth
- H2O as solid ice is common anyway, but not as liquid water, which is more relevant for potential habitability and life. The conditions for the liquid phase of water are a remarkably narrow area on the phase diagram. That we have found in few locations, and it's news when a new such place is discovered.
Fascinating! However, I get the cringes every time an article about space exploration uses those atavistic units like Royal Hangnails (length), Princely Bladders (volume), Regal Farts (speed) and Fornicating Fever (temperature) for measurement. Hasn't the metric system arrived yet on planet USA?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
And I have to point to this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Climate_Orbiter#Cause_of_...
And? Someone output things in non SI units to something that expected SI. Shit happens. Want me to point to the Beagle probe? Space isn't easy.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes it has! It conquered our soda industry and then gave up.
"Yeah I'll have a quart of Coke" certainly sounds weird. It is strange now that I think about it that we have imperial measurements for milk but metric measurements for sugary drinks/beer.
Other than 1 and 2 liter bottles of pop, I can't really think of any time I would buy pop or beer using the metric system.
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Why? Units are mostly arbitrary anyway. Actually, having more than one system is a good reminder of that. And Fahrenheit is supposedly more efficient for describing weather. http://isomorphism.es/post/3767526267/fahrenheit-versus-cels...
That's just a blatant rationalisation because people don't like change. There's nothing natural about understanding either metric or imperial, so suggesting that humans inherently are born with more understanding of one is silly. Metric only wins in my book because it is much easier to convert units (there are no magic numbers for conversion factors). However I'd laugh at anyone who suggest metric is better because p…
I disagree. Once you've been taught a base ten counting system, units that change based on orders of magnitude is very easy to understand. Since almost everyone has a base ten counting system internalized, metric is MUCH easier.