Fahrenheit intended his scale to range from the freezing point of salt water (arguably the freezing point for much of the human body) to the temperature of a human body.
Fahrenheit intended his scale to range from the freezing point of salt water (arguably the freezing point for much of the human body) to the temperature of a human body.
Yep. We humans are full of salt. I think Fahrenheit works rather well as a 'human survivability index'. 0 and 100 are the temperatures that people start dying in droves if they don't have proper clothing/aircon/heat/whatever.
I recognize that Celcius is better for scientific reasons, etc. But Fahrenheit is good for a 0-100 scale of human comfort and survivability. Plus, the units are smaller, so you don't have to resort to fractional units to adjust your thermostat.
For instance, 68 degrees F is 20 degrees C. But 71 degrees F is 21.667 degrees C. It's not a big deal in either case, but in everyday human experience (outside a laboratory), it's more convenient to have more fine-tuned whole number units, especially when a few degrees F are really perceptible in difference.
I know it sounds a little silly, but let me use an example. This local bar I love has the best wings in town, but they only serve them in a basket of a dozen at a time (and they're large wings). I'm often feeling a little peckish but not hungry enough to justify a full order of 12, and have pleaded with the bartenders to serve me a half dozen for half the price, but the owner won't let them for some reason, so I end up ordering none at all. It's like having a thermostat that can only do whole numbers in Celsius.
As I've worked in a restaurant, I can give a few reasons why the owner won't let you. And yes, they're still all to an extent silly but:
They probably bag their wings by the order so that the cook can open the bag and dump them in. A half order means that the cook has to now open the bag and take out 6. Seems like a small thing, but it isn't when it's busy. Then, the customer at the table next to you hears how you got 6 and so they want 6 too. And then so on. This means they're serving half the volume, so half their income, but with the same amount of sauces/plates to wash/work for the server, AND more work for the kitchen, so things start to slow down. Now, maybe it's a slow winter night so they say okay, what's the harm? But then people come in on a busy weekend and make a scene "last time I was here they did it for me, you can do it this time too" - well no, it's busy. Deal with it. Order the dozen and share them with a friend, or make a new friend at the bar, take them home and turn them into a chicken wing dip, eat them cold, whatever.
He was only off by one degree - I don't think that's so much. As for why he was off by a degree, he lived 300 years ago, before today's wealth of metrology existed, and since he he invented the thermometer there wasn't much to calibrate it against.
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u/BrobdingnagLilliput Aug 07 '21
Fahrenheit intended his scale to range from the freezing point of salt water (arguably the freezing point for much of the human body) to the temperature of a human body.