Partially discharged

No problem...Canada went officially metric in the mid to late 70's but the older generation haven't totally bought into it. Fahrenheit and miles and gallons etc seem very old fashioned to me. A trip to the USA seems like a step back in time.

Former Lancastrian

And people wonder why we lost an Empire and are sometimes reluctant to say GREAT Britain

dave_j

When I was young, visits to the pub as a darts marker certainly sharpened my mental arithmetic, and many friends who lived in the betting shop became mental athletes.
When I was youngish, my department were issued with the then very new and magical Hewlett Packard Scientific calculators, which at 200 quid a throw and using reverse polish notation, showed some foresight I thought and allowed me to throw my slide rule into the dustbin.
When I became a father, I noted that my daughter was beginning to need a calculator to add 1 and 1.
When I became a manager, I noted that my post-graduate work experience student was unable to use a measuring tape.
It doesn't surprise me in the least that the young journalist given the thankless task of reporting on the fall of a single snowflake somewhere in northern england, had dragged himself from his bed and filed his copy, not being bothered to check his sums properly because the battery in his calculator had passed away.

Former Lancastrian

Im also assuming this reporter doesn't use the internet much and a simple search and conversion using online tools would have shown that -5C = 23F
Celsius to Fahrenheit conversion (ºC to ºF)

scrubbedexpat091

My guess is they did use an online tool, but forgot to put the - in front of the 5.

Google says +5 = 41F. I doubt anyone actually tried to figure it out the long way.....



I wasn't around back when the US thought to change over, other then some old remnants from highways was the only indication when growing up. I think most of the km signs are gone now, might be some hidden around near borders though.

I'd be surprised if the US switches over in my lifetime, the feds will probably not force it onto the states, and states don't want to spend money switching signs over which seems the biggest complaint not to switch.

Canada makes it easy for me for the most part, food in stores is all in price per pound which is where the biggest confusion would be for me, I don't care about liters for gas, I am not paying in gallons so no need to know the per gallon price, although I can convert in my head for that one.

Temps are still confusing, signs that say 500 meters to next exit mean nothing, I haven't a clue how far that actually is off the top of my head....lol

I am a mix of both systems, getting better, but not having to use metric on a day to day thing, it's not been a fast learning adventure, even cooking is all in F, the oven doesn't even have a C option for example, and almost all recipes are in F.

One thing I do wish though is the car having the option to have MPG on the screen instead of liters per 100km.

Novocastrian

WTF is the long way?

Shard

I think it's a warning that the roads can become slippery due to impending ice...something like that.

scrubbedexpat091

However you do the conversion without the use of a computer or website doing it for you.

I haven't a clue how to do the conversion, but probably involves some sort of math I would imagine.

BristolUK

I vaguely recall something like doubling the C and adding 30. It gets close to most 'normal' UK type temperatures.

dave_j

It's symptomatic of the culture we live in that we applaud ourselves when we're unable to perform conversions using the simplest of mathematical techniques.
There are engineers out there who have designed and built most of what we use to make life comfortable.
Please don't join those buffoons on the TV who giggle at their inability to add 2 and 2, and tell a joke rather than admit they didn't know the earth was round. We should be better than that. I am.

Partially discharged

To convert from deg c to deg f you multiply by 1.8 and add 32. I.e 5 c.... 5 x 1.8 = 9 + 32 =41. To do the reverse you divide by 1.8 and subtract 32.

Partially discharged

Agreed. You and I would be kindred spirits at most cash registers. I.e the total comes to $16.25. I give the cashier a $20 bill and a $1 coin and a $0.25 coin. Most cashiers are completely dumbfounded why I would want to unload that kind of money and they are surprised when I get a $5 bill back in change.

BristolUK

Can you do 1.8 x 17 (or of 27) easily in your head

Partially discharged

No but in increments of 5 is easy. 5 x 1.8, 10 x 1.8, 15 x 1.8 etc

Aviator

Figure out a formula and it is pretty easy.

x 2 - 10% 30.6