Flaws with the Metric System

Topics that can go away
Torco
Posts: 636
Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2018 9:11 am

Re: Flaws with the Metric System

Post by Torco »

It's strange you say that, because I really like the size of a centimeter. It's conveniently about the width of a finger.
my pinky too, but human measurements are a lot of centimeters. (about) 30 for the foot, 100 for the leg, 200 for the entire person, 60 for the arm, those be big numbers. by comparison those numbers are 10, 40 and 80. parts of stuff like furniture or clothing, then, are very often going to be, say, 2 to 20 inches in size, and you often find very friendly numbers like 9 or 12, as opposed to unfriendly numbers like 29 or, the horror!, 67.

also, obviously indian gauge is the superior choice and everyone should have honestly switched decades ago already.
jcb
Posts: 65
Joined: Thu Jul 07, 2022 4:36 pm

Re: Flaws with the Metric System

Post by jcb »

my pinky too, but human measurements are a lot of centimeters. (about) 30 for the foot, 100 for the leg, 200 for the entire person, 60 for the arm, those be big numbers. by comparison those numbers are 10, 40 and 80. parts of stuff like furniture or clothing, then, are very often going to be, say, 2 to 20 inches in size, and you often find very friendly numbers like 9 or 12, as opposed to unfriendly numbers like 29 or, the horror!, 67.
Don't think in groups of 1 unit then. Think in groups of 5 units: 10 cm vs 15 cm, etc.
Ares Land
Posts: 2814
Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2018 12:35 pm

Re: Flaws with the Metric System

Post by Ares Land »

zompist wrote: Tue Nov 28, 2023 11:17 pm
Imralu wrote: Tue Nov 28, 2023 10:48 pmI don't know anyone who can reliably feel the difference between 22C and 23C
I can tell. We all have some superpower, and that's apparently mine.

As it happens there is a magic temperature, roughly 21.5 C, where it's cold in my place if it's below that and hot if it's above. A degree F, or half a degree C, makes the difference between long and short sleeves and pants.
I twiddled a bit with the thermostat at home lately, and I noticed I definitely can do that too but in a different rang; my own preferred interval is more around 19°C / 20°C. (19°C is way too cold, 19.5°C builds character and 20°C is about right.)
Other than that though, I can't feel the difference between 9°C and 10°C, or 27°C and 28°C.

I think the popularity of Fahrenheit vs. Celsius might have to do with mild winters; over here winter temperatures don't get much or often below 0°C.
sasasha
Posts: 435
Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 11:41 am

Re: Flaws with the Metric System

Post by sasasha »

Torco wrote: Wed Dec 06, 2023 11:46 am honestly I... kind of fucking love it ? even degrees celsius feel like too big numbers for everyday use for me. like what's the difference between being 10 and 11 degrees outside? degrees G, however, feel inch-sized.
Ah, thanks! That was my attraction to it I guess ‒ I am not sensitive enough to temperature to care on the scale either current system demands, so I have no attachment to the scale degrees involved. Like, we can recognise the infinite precision with which we can theoretically divide up the octave, without forgetting that it's impossible for people to hear minute pitch distinctions beyond a certain point.
Torco
Posts: 636
Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2018 9:11 am

Re: Flaws with the Metric System

Post by Torco »

jcb wrote: Thu Dec 14, 2023 1:27 amThink in groups of 5 units: 10 cm vs 15 cm, etc.
the decimeter is haram.
Ah, thanks! That was my attraction to it I guess ‒ I am not sensitive enough to temperature to care on the scale either current system demands, so I have no attachment to the scale degrees involved. Like, we can recognise the infinite precision with which we can theoretically divide up the octave, without forgetting that it's impossible for people to hear minute pitch distinctions beyond a certain point.
though honestly that point is pretty small... untrained people can definitely hear things as out of tune if they're, say, 30 cents flat. I can more or less reliably hear 15 cents, and my cello teacher, a competent professional with a solid couple decades of ear training can reliably hear when I'm 5 cents flat or sharp. 5 cents is pretty minute tbh, a cent is a hundredth of the difference between, say, a B and a C.
Post Reply