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[-] LurkingLuddite@piefed.social 10 points 2 days ago

All numbers are arbitrary until you relate them to reality. This whole debate is fucking stupid vibe checks on how people feel about meaningless numbers, because the temperature is the temperature whether it's -40 or 233, or 420.

[-] Saapas@piefed.zip 17 points 2 days ago

I mean the zero point of Celsius isn't a vibe in the same way as "pretty cold, pretty hot" or however people describe Fahrenheit. It actually means something to real life that it gets to zero or goes negative. 100C is for most people much less useful tbf.

But mainly it's about what you're used ofc. I just hate the nonsense thing about Fahrenheit being better that is about vibes alone

[-] Cethin@lemmy.zip 5 points 2 days ago

0 in F also means something very specific. Celsius isn't any better at that. If you want something that actually means 0 at 0 then use Kelvin. If you aren't, both have an equal basis in reality.

The scale of values is just better for human experience in F. It has more integer values in the range of values humans experience.

[-] Saapas@piefed.zip 7 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

What specific thing does it mean that would relate to your real, daily life?

The scale of values is just better for human experience in F. It has more integer values in the range of values humans experience.

Huh? What does that even mean and why it has to specifically be integer values??

[-] Cethin@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 day ago

It didn't say something that relates to my real daily life, only something real. Anyway, 0°F is the freezing point of brine at sea level. That is relevant because our blood is essentially brine, if we want to stretch things. The freezing point of water at sea level isn't exactly useful unless we're working with water at sea level.

Integers are easier to write. We never have to use decimals with F since we have plenty of integers. Yes, you can use decimals, but we're discussing ease of use. If you can't recognize that not needing them is easier then you're not being honest.

[-] CybranM@feddit.nu 6 points 1 day ago

I guess you don't live anywhere where it snows then. Knowing whether water freezes at sea level is very impactful since a majority of people on the planet live pretty close to sea level, knowing when my blood freezes seems really useless.

Also no one uses decimals with C° unless it's a medical situation or similar. There's so many factors that you can't tell the difference between 17° and 18° anyway, regardless of F° or C°

[-] Cethin@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 day ago

Snow is created in the air, not ground level. Also, it's better described as "average pressure at sea level", because it fluctuates, especially during storms where this matters.

Knowing when you'll die is pretty damn important. Also, brine is how most roads are prevented from freezing, so it's very useful for that too. They're both arbitrary and situationally useful points. I don't know why you need to pretend like they aren't.

Also no one uses decimals with C° unless it's a medical situation or similar. There's so many factors that you can't tell the difference between 17° and 18° anyway, regardless of F° or C°

Alright, what? You want to argue having more precision with no extra effort is now bad? If you're using two numbers anyway, why would you not want the extra precision? You're only arguing to defend Celsius, for some weird reason. You can't admit there's any advantage to F that you need to make up stupid excuses for C. You aren't arguing in good faith. Come back when you're willing to.

[-] CybranM@feddit.nu 3 points 1 day ago

What a myopic reply. Since you didn't say otherwise I'll assume I was correct regarding your location.

Snow is created in the air, not ground level.

Yes, and where does it go? You are aware there is water on the ground as well, which freezes, which makes a big difference in your day-to-day life.

Knowing when you’ll die is pretty damn important.

You'll die of exposure long before your blood freezes but sure

They’re both arbitrary and situationally useful points.

I disagree that both are arbitrary, 0C° is when water freezes at sea level, 100C° is when it boils. I'll grant you that 100 is a bit arbitrary but it's a nice round number. Freezing at 32F° however, that is arbitrary. I don't see how F° is situationally useful in any way compared to C°.

You want to argue having more precision with no extra effort is now bad? If you’re using two numbers anyway, why would you not want the extra precision?

There is no meaningful point in having more precision when the numbers you use are bracketed by nonsense. I don't care that 1F° is "smaller" than 1C° because it would never affect me.

You’re only arguing to defend Celsius, for some weird reason. You can’t admit there’s any advantage to F that you need to make up stupid excuses for C. You aren’t arguing in good faith. Come back when you’re willing to.

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black haha. I have provided a good reason for using C°, as far as I can tell you don't have anything other than "I'm used to F° therefore its better"

[-] Cethin@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 day ago

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black haha. I have provided a good reason for using C°, as far as I can tell you don't have anything other than "I'm used to F° therefore its better"

I'm done with this conversation, because you don't want to have one. Please, point to where I said F is better. I never did. I said they both have advantages, but they're both arbitrary to fit certain criteria. If you want an objective system, use Kelvin. Until you're arguing in favor of that, both F and C are fine and both have advantages. People pretending like C is objectively better do not have a firm grasp on what each system does.

[-] CybranM@feddit.nu 2 points 1 day ago

Then please point out what advantage F° has. I've yet to see one

[-] Saapas@piefed.zip 3 points 1 day ago

It didn’t say something that relates to my real daily life, only something real.

I was commenting on this:

"It’s pretty much just 0 is really cold and 100 is really hot as far as weather goes. Besides that it feels pretty arbitrary. I’m a metric stan, but I do still think Fahrenheit is pretty good for talking about the weather."

That's what I'm referring to with this:

"I mean the zero point of Celsius isn’t a vibe in the same way as “pretty cold, pretty hot” "

The freezing point of water at sea level isn’t exactly useful unless we’re working with water at sea level.

I'm not sure if you're joking but knowing if the roads will be frozen or if it's gonna snow is pretty useful lol

[-] Cethin@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 day ago

That's not my comment. I do agree with it though.

I'm not sure if you're joking but knowing if the roads will be frozen or if it's gonna snow is pretty useful lol

Ok, and F is also great for that purpose. When that's an issue, most major roads will be salted. 0F was explicitly the point where brine freezes, so it's actually perfect for knowing when salted roads will freeze. You can probably know when unsalted roads will freeze by the snow/ice around. Both are useful, but you're arbitrarily ignoring the utility of F just to defend C, for some reason. I don't know why people make this part of their personality.

[-] Saapas@piefed.zip 3 points 1 day ago

You are really grasping at straws. Next you're going to say they're salting the falling snow in the US so it's perfect for knowing that temp too lmao

you’re arbitrarily ignoring the utility of F

I just don't understand the utility over C. It sorta feeling like cold or hot doesn't make all that much sense to me, it's so vague

[-] Cethin@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 day ago

I just don't understand the utility over C. It sorta feeling like cold or hot doesn't make all that much sense to me, it's so vague

Exactly. Both C and F are arbitrary, both having some advantage over the other for certain circumstances. Kelvin is the only one you can argue for in a purely absolute sense. People saying C is better for some kind of purity reason are just making things up. C and F have the same basis in the measurement of reality, and they're just slightly better at measuring certain things than the other, but both are perfectly usable interchangeably.

[-] Saapas@piefed.zip 1 points 1 day ago

Like I said earlier, the utility of the C's zero point being when it freezes/snows seems a lot more concrete to me than "it goes from cold to hot, kinda"

[-] Rothe@piefed.social 3 points 2 days ago

Why are you insisting on integers? Why are you scared of decimals? They are perfectly easy to use and provides a much wider range of scale than your arbitrary 0-100 scale does.

[-] Cethin@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 day ago

I'm not insisting on them. When did I say I was? Is this discussion not on ease of use? Does not needing to use decimals not make it easier to use? Yes, you can use decimals, but it saves on writing and space if we don't need them. It's easier. If you can't admit that that is an advantage then you're not arguing in good faith.

[-] Saapas@piefed.zip 1 points 1 day ago

You don't need to use decimals with Celsius. Very rare when talking about the weather for example

[-] Cethin@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 day ago

From the comment I was responding to:

Why are you insisting on integers? Why are you scared of decimals? They are perfectly easy to use and provides a much wider range of scale than your arbitrary 0-100 scale does.

They were saying decimals work fine. I explained why having the precision without needing decimals is fine.your comment has no bearing on this. Why did you comment? Anyway, just because you don't need it doesn't remove the advantage. I don't need a spoon to eat soup, but it sure does help.

this post was submitted on 22 Jul 2026
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