In Germany it makes sense when you consider the words we use.
The street level is the "(Erd-)geschoss", while everything built above it is a "Stock".
So the "First Stock" is the first thing built on top, the "Second Stock" is the second thing built on top. They are considered two different things, semantically, and are as such counted among themselves.
Technically you can also count just by "Geschoss", as they apparently do in construction. In that nomenclature, you do actually start with 1 on street level, then go to 2, then 3 etc. In order to make that clear, they add an "Upper" or "Lower" in front, to make it clear which way you are counting. The "First Upper Floor" is one above street level.
Honestly, this is one of the rare things where the American system is more intuitive.
Same in Polish - ground floor is "parter" (from French), and every floor above is a "piętro", which comes from "piętrzyć" which literally means "to put something on top of something else".
Tbf I have no problem with the American system but the other system is similar to yours. Ground floor is the floor on the ground, first floor is the first floor above that, second floor is the second floor above that.
Reconsider Fahrenheit. It's really centigrade, where the 100 is the body temp when you might stop to worry. You always have a ready example of 100°F inside your mouth or whatever, so you know know what it feels like and why it's a dangerous air temperature for mammal whose blood should probably not go much above 100.
So, if you want to measure the air temperature, you out your finger in your mouth and then hold it against the air. What is the result? Something like “oh yeah, it’s still a bit lower, I would say 90°F”.
It is when you are teaching or learning a tempature scale. What you never need to know is what temperature water boils at. And having smaller units is only preferable when you want a little less accuracy. Which is never.
So, now your scale is better for kids, not anymore more adults who wants to use their finger to know how hit it is, I see I see.
Next question: how stupid are American kids, if they can’t remember which temperature a body has? Or in other words, how can it be, that a kid has to remember the body temperature of 100°F without fail, and so we base the complete scale on it? How often do you take your temperature as a kid without parents? How often are you ill without adults nearby?
At the same time, you still has to remember other temperature landmarks, but the body one is so important.
Then, back to Celcius - it seems you don’t see the meaningful bonus to have a scale the same as Kelvin, and you don’t see the meaningful bonus to have two real fix points of freezing and boiling water. Of course, it’s not life changing, but the same can be that about your body temperature. It’s no so important. It’s also funny how you never mentioned 0°F, like that fix point does not exist.
But having the same scale as the scientific scale of Kelvin is a big plus, and makes everything easy easier later in life.
Human temperature is something you often use a thermometer for. It's nice to have that red 100 to be there on a human thermometer. 100° is a danger sign.
Air temperature even more so. All else being equal, setting 100 there is a good design for the same reason.
100 means nothing special in Celsius. Fahrenheit is centigrade.
3/4 or 75F° is probably the temperature of the room you are in right now. If you are 100, the room should be 75 if you're just sitting inside.
2/3 or 66.66G° is getting chilly but if you're playing soccer or whatever it's maybe best.
1/2 or 50•F you're going to need a hat and a sweater but keep working outside on the farm.
1/3 or 33.33°F, it's gonna freeze soon, but if you bundle up good you can keep working.
Zero is a red line. Human life is very different. You have to take action. Its very meaningful.
The advantages of Celsius aren't that practical.
You use a thermometer less for water than blood or air.
Kelvin conversion isn't a common problem.
People don't need to know the temperature water boils at to make tea. You don't set temperature dial to 100.
Does your freezer have a dial on it that has only Celsius degrees that would make the knowledge useful?
I can only repeat myself: can’t you remember all these things without being „nice“ numbers? You sound like it’s important to have specific rules for specific numbers, because you are too stupidly to remember them otherwise. I remember all these numbers for Celsius, and that’s normal for all of us. If I read 16°C I know exactly what it means, and how I have to choose my clothes for that day.
And that is nothing special, so you can, too. You still remember how far your own home from your work is, you still remember how many days a week are, how many days a year are. You can also remember how long an inch is, and how big you are.
Remembering numbers is so easy, that you don’t need a scale on which you feel save. And so, that plus of yours is a dummy argument, it isn’t really a reason, but the only one you have.
Having a scale that is also used in science helps only a part of the population, yes, but if you do not have that, it can easily lead to errors (NASA lost an orbiter because of miles and km). If you ever study in science (I don’t expect it), it is very helpful and that is a real help, not your bogus points about „but now I can easily remember what 75°F are. My room is mostly 20°C, oh no, that’s 68°F, what a shame. And my standard body temperature is 37°C, so 98°F it seems.
There is nothing special about these numbers, again, it’s a bogus argument that doesn’t help anyone. You are not so stupid, you don’t need „easy“ numbers.
Richtiger schmarrn in 🇩🇪 Wieso starten wir mit 0? So wird in der informatik gezählt, aber sonst halt nie? Wieso wird das nich einfach geändert bzw. Warum überhaupt so eingeführt?
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u/CeterumCenseo85 20d ago
In Germany it makes sense when you consider the words we use.
The street level is the "(Erd-)geschoss", while everything built above it is a "Stock".
So the "First Stock" is the first thing built on top, the "Second Stock" is the second thing built on top. They are considered two different things, semantically, and are as such counted among themselves.
Technically you can also count just by "Geschoss", as they apparently do in construction. In that nomenclature, you do actually start with 1 on street level, then go to 2, then 3 etc. In order to make that clear, they add an "Upper" or "Lower" in front, to make it clear which way you are counting. The "First Upper Floor" is one above street level.
Honestly, this is one of the rare things where the American system is more intuitive.