3 ms·

I suppose I think a bit differently. I don't know the typical pressure inside a steam engine. However, I do know what one bar, or one pascal means. I can also

I suppose I think a bit differently. I don't know the typical pressure inside a steam engine. However, I do know what one bar, or one pascal means. I can also guess what ninety atmospheres entails in terms of engineering, because I know that's the pressure at about 900 m water depth (by virtue of the SI units, which are based off water: P = hρg), which few submarines can even reach. The same thing goes for 'as long as/as big as xxx football fields': which one? American or association? I know what a square metre is, I know what a square kilometre is, just use the damn units. I really think pop-sci and science education should emphasise standard units (read: SI, not USC) and being able to estimate orders of magnitude.

8note 4y ago
Why reference submarines? What submarines can reach is irrelevant as a comparison when you know a number Otherwise, it's your reference to submarines that contextualizes the number, same as the insides of a steam engine does for others
- delta_p_delta_x 4y ago
  > it's your reference to submarines that contextualizes the number I realised that after the fact. What I meant to say is that standard units should be used, and individuals should be left to contextualise said units of their own accord, instead of it being done for them.
  - dontlaugh 4y ago
    Or both, numbers plus example don’t take much space.
arbitrandomuser 4y ago
You don't need to know the typical pressure , but you definitely get the idea the pressure built inside a steam engine is much higher than atm. The steam pressure is not about the numbers so much but a kind of hyperbole , "you know that thing which hauls tonnes of steel purely on pressure made in a steam boiler , yeah the pressure on Venus is 4 times that pressure " I found it an interesting fact.
- delta_p_delta_x 4y ago
  > a kind of hyperbole I didn’t think of it that way initially, but this makes sense, thanks.

8note 4y ago

Why reference submarines? What submarines can reach is irrelevant as a comparison when you know a number Otherwise, it's your reference to submarines that contextualizes the number, same as the insides of a steam engine does for others

delta_p_delta_x 4y ago
> it's your reference to submarines that contextualizes the number I realised that after the fact. What I meant to say is that standard units should be used, and individuals should be left to contextualise said units of their own accord, instead of it being done for them.
- dontlaugh 4y ago
  Or both, numbers plus example don’t take much space.

arbitrandomuser 4y ago

You don't need to know the typical pressure , but you definitely get the idea the pressure built inside a steam engine is much higher than atm. The steam pressure is not about the numbers so much but a kind of hyperbole , "you know that thing which hauls tonnes of steel purely on pressure made in a steam boiler , yeah the pressure on Venus is 4 times that pressure " I found it an interesting fact.

delta_p_delta_x 4y ago
> a kind of hyperbole I didn’t think of it that way initially, but this makes sense, thanks.