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73 points

Fahrenheit is a strange scale.

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20 points

It’s just designed with a slightly different set of assumptions.

Instead of water freezing and boiling 100° apart, it’s 180° in fahrenheit. That makes it so that they’re on the opposite sides of a temperature gauge, and a degree of rotation of the gauge matches a degree of temperature.
Instead of zero being the freezing point of water under specific conditions, it’s a brine solution whose temperature will stabilize in a way that’s useful for using as a calibration point.

Stripped of its context, it’s odd. But it’s not irrational, just no longer consensus as the standard, and as such deprecated.

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-38 points

Fahrenheit makes sense for humans. Most of your day to day climates are in the 0 to 100 scale, and every 10 degrees is a noticeable level change.

  • 100 super hot day, approaching unsafe without counter measures
  • 90 really hot day, slightly annoying and should take precautions
  • 80, hot day, more annoying than anything
  • 70, beautiful day, enjoy it
  • 60 not to bad, if it’s windy you could be slightly on the cold side
  • 50 long sleeves or maybe a hoodie
  • 40 definitely a jacket, and hat
  • 30 full on coat, scarfe, and hat
  • 20 multiple layers of out for a while, maybe double pants
  • 10 annoyingly cold, need to start thinking about the safety precautions
  • 0 and below, temperature now measured in hold long you can be outside before danger

Celsius makes sense for science stuff because it’s derived from science stuff, so things like calories and energy work with it. But it doesn’t really apply to everyday life as well. So it actually makes sense to use both units for the things the are good at.

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7 points
*

But it doesn’t really apply to everyday life as well. So it actually makes sense to use both units for the things the are good at.

It’s funny to assume that all people using Celsius are unable to ascertain how they will feel outside based on the temperature value.

I mean, I understand that round numbers are cute, but we are able to handle numbers ending in 5 as well as numbers ending in 0.

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-1 points

why are you being so heavily downvoted? you’re not even saying anything controversial.

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7 points

Because it assumes that using Celsius makes the same estimations impossible. It’s basically telling most of the world that we outside the US are stupid.

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2 points

Somebody’s from the north. Even as warm blooded as I am 80 is a nice day and 90 is just annoyingly hot.

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43 points

Being from outside of the US I’m used to Celsius for everything, so I can make the same list, the numbers are just not whole 10s and I would probably round to nearest 5.

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9 points

They probably don’t understand numbers not ending in 0.

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17 points

Just an fyi, 100F is not “unsafe without counter measures” level of hot. That would be around 115+F. I say this as someone from a city that regularly hits 120F during the summer. 100 you can still get in your car, 115+ you need to wear gloves or else you’ll get 3rd degree burns. 100 have to buy pizza for lunch, 115+ just bake a pizza in your car.

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0 points

I work outside in the Texas sun. 100F is unsurvivable without regular water intake and regular breaks. That would literally define it as unsafe without counter measures. You’re talking about walking to your car. We’re talking about actually being in it. Like playing a sport or fishing. 110 here means you can only work in short 15-20 minute bursts. 100 and you’re sweating so profusely your entire shirt Is soaked. At 90 it’s warm and a little toasty. At 80 it feels pretty good out. At 70 is literally the perfect temperature. 60 starts to get a bit on the chill side. 50 is light jacket weather. 40 is heavier jacket weather. 30 is a winter coat and multiple layers. Works just fine for us. If you don’t like it then don’t use it. I don’t even know why this argument is so prevalent. It’s not complicated like y’all would like everyone to believe.

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1 point

That’s why they added the word “approaching”

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66 points

It depends on what you were raised with. For me I have all these relevant points in my head for C. 25 is nice, under 20 you slowly need to dress longer stuff. Over 30 is hot, over 40 sucks hard, over 50 can become deadly soon. Body temp is around 37.

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8 points

I don’t science anymore, but living in a F country, I keep in mind for conversions:

0C is freezing point of water ~32F 20-22C is room temp ~68-72F 30C+ is Unhappy temperatures/hot.

Really only things I need to remember, and gradient based off of. It can get up to 45C where I live, but that would never be important to me. I hate the heat, if it’s 30C+, the degree to which it is hot matters little, I’m going to just want to stay out of the sun or go inside.

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