this post was submitted on 09 Sep 2024
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Science Memes

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[–] Donkter@lemmy.world -4 points 2 months ago (14 children)

I disagree that either would be just as intuitive. Fahrenheit being 0=cold and 100=hot is intuitive because there are a lot of things we do in the world that exist on a scale of 0 - 100. Percentages, just off the bat. Also, fahrenheit has a higher degree of fidelity in the temperature range that we use.

Celsius's general temperature scale is like -10 - 40 which is absolutely not intuitive because it doesn't look like any other scale we use as humans. I agree that we get used to Celsius fast and it's a fine it's not like it's super confusing (and Celsius is so much more useful scientifically).

[–] Wrufieotnak 12 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (7 children)

Which system did you grow up with? Because I grew up from the start with Celsius und it is 100% intuitive to me. Everytime you americans use your funny temperature numbers I have to stop and use a tool for transforming it or I simply ignore it and go "low means cold and high means hot, how high? Ain't nobody got time for dat!"

So I disagree with your notion that Fahrenheit is intuitive. The system you grew up with and have multiple experiences as reference points for, is the system you feel is intuitive is also my opinion.

[–] Lizardking27@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

What you grew up with =/= what is intuitive.

That is not what intuitive means. You're talking about what's "familiar".

Familiarity is subjective. Intuitiveness is objective.

[–] Wrufieotnak 6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

If we want to go that road, intuition is according to Wikipedia:

Intuition is the ability to acquire knowledge, without recourse to conscious reasoning or needing an explanation.[2][3] Different fields use the word "intuition" in very different ways, including but not limited to: direct access to unconscious knowledge; unconscious cognition; gut feelings; inner sensing; inner insight to unconscious pattern-recognition; and the ability to understand something instinctively, without any need for conscious reasoning.[4][5] Intuitive knowledge tends to be approximate.[6]

Since every temperature system needs an explanation, namely the reference points, no system is or even can be intuitive per this definition.

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