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@HN: If you use the word 'degrees' please add F or C to indicate which scale you are referring to. Many here are from the US and would interpret it as degrees F

@HN: If you use the word 'degrees' please add F or C to indicate which scale you are referring to. Many here are from the US and would interpret it as degrees Fahrenheit while many others read it as degrees Celsius.

lecunn 6y ago
In this case it is pretty obvious what was meant, isn't it?
classified 6y ago
For all we know it might even have been Réaumur. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Réaumur_scale https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Réaumur_scale
dj_mc_merlin 6y ago
People say this a lot, but when is it actually a problem? In this example, it's obviously Fahrenheit, since 130C makes no sense. From context, you can almost always tell whether it's C or F: * < 50: C if it's warm, F if it's cold * > 50: Mostly F, sometimes context-dependent * And the closer to 0 the less it matters For other values outside human range it doesn't make much of a difference. Humans can't appreciate the difference between 10000C and 10000F, it's just "really damn hot".
- wittyreference 6y ago
  I don’t know... an American newspaper describing an American locale as either “really hot by American measure” or “well above boiling by global measure”... seems very ambiguous to me.
- Izkata 6y ago
  See comment that's currently just above yours: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24187188 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24187188
madeofpalk 6y ago
I only know Celsius, but it's pretty clear here from context that it's Fahrenheit. It's annoying, because I still don't know what the measured temperature actually was, but I feel pretty safe assuming that the air temperature was not above the boiling point of water where I guess there would be spontaneous combustion
- apexalpha 6y ago
  To get a rough idea of how warm it is in Fahrenheit just remember that 100 degrees Fahrenheit is the body temperature.
- de_watcher 6y ago
  No, I really hoped to be amazed by some weird phenomenon that can cause 130 degrees. Didn't even think about Fahrenheit.
- EarthIsHome 6y ago
  The best way to interpret Fahrenheit (for Celsius people) is to think of a scale from 0 to a 100 in terms of human comfort. 0F is really cold. 100F is really hot. Something towards the middle feels pretty good (50F, 60F.. but really depends on preference in this region). So, with that in mind, 130F is scorching off the charts, and I wouldn't want to be out there.
  - frickinLasers 6y ago
    Room temperature is 72-74 degrees F (22-23 C). 68 is comfortable for me, and most people I know get cranky when the temperature dips below 65. This doesn't change the fact that 130 is hot, but for many people 50 F is "freezing."
    - EarthIsHome 6y ago
      That's indoor temperature though. I assumed we were talking about outdoor temperature since usually the temperature provided by weather apps measures outside temperature. While 60 may be freezing indoors, it feels great outdoors to me.
KindOne 6y ago
What about "130F / 54.4C"?
- Joeri 6y ago
  If 500 people take 15 seconds to do the google search to convert f to c or c to f because the title only mentions one, then having the poster or editor do it for them saves 2 hours of combined life. Do it for the humanity!

lecunn 6y ago

In this case it is pretty obvious what was meant, isn't it?

classified 6y ago

For all we know it might even have been Réaumur. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Réaumur_scale https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Réaumur_scale

dj_mc_merlin 6y ago

People say this a lot, but when is it actually a problem? In this example, it's obviously Fahrenheit, since 130C makes no sense. From context, you can almost always tell whether it's C or F: * < 50: C if it's warm, F if it's cold * > 50: Mostly F, sometimes context-dependent * And the closer to 0 the less it matters For other values outside human range it doesn't make much of a difference. Humans can't appreciate the difference between 10000C and 10000F, it's just "really damn hot".

wittyreference 6y ago
I don’t know... an American newspaper describing an American locale as either “really hot by American measure” or “well above boiling by global measure”... seems very ambiguous to me.
Izkata 6y ago
See comment that's currently just above yours: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24187188 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24187188

madeofpalk 6y ago

I only know Celsius, but it's pretty clear here from context that it's Fahrenheit. It's annoying, because I still don't know what the measured temperature actually was, but I feel pretty safe assuming that the air temperature was not above the boiling point of water where I guess there would be spontaneous combustion

apexalpha 6y ago
To get a rough idea of how warm it is in Fahrenheit just remember that 100 degrees Fahrenheit is the body temperature.
de_watcher 6y ago
No, I really hoped to be amazed by some weird phenomenon that can cause 130 degrees. Didn't even think about Fahrenheit.
EarthIsHome 6y ago
The best way to interpret Fahrenheit (for Celsius people) is to think of a scale from 0 to a 100 in terms of human comfort. 0F is really cold. 100F is really hot. Something towards the middle feels pretty good (50F, 60F.. but really depends on preference in this region). So, with that in mind, 130F is scorching off the charts, and I wouldn't want to be out there.
- frickinLasers 6y ago
  Room temperature is 72-74 degrees F (22-23 C). 68 is comfortable for me, and most people I know get cranky when the temperature dips below 65. This doesn't change the fact that 130 is hot, but for many people 50 F is "freezing."
  - EarthIsHome 6y ago
    That's indoor temperature though. I assumed we were talking about outdoor temperature since usually the temperature provided by weather apps measures outside temperature. While 60 may be freezing indoors, it feels great outdoors to me.

KindOne 6y ago

What about "130F / 54.4C"?

Joeri 6y ago
If 500 people take 15 seconds to do the google search to convert f to c or c to f because the title only mentions one, then having the poster or editor do it for them saves 2 hours of combined life. Do it for the humanity!