3 ms·

Because citizens aren't expected to need to know the scale. They are only expected to follow the guidance their governments issue.

salad-tycoon 3y ago
I like the response, seems very astute of an observation. Interpreting this in the worse light possible… in other words, gate keeping. I think a lot more people could understand and be mature in a lot more things if artificial and archaic barriers weren’t erected. I think not trusting the public is a recipe for an obscure elite ruling class. Sure, not a whole lot of people will get it but at least be open about it. Then again, maybe there is a benefit to using that particular scale and I’ve been poisoned by my generational ills. Not trying to be argumentative. If I hazarded a guess it’s the second reason right?
- topherclay 3y ago
  There's no artificial barriers being errected here by deciding to say "8" instead of writing out 8 zeros.
- diffeomorphism 3y ago
  Obvious answer: compare 10000000 vs 7. Which is easier to understand?
- Kerb_ 3y ago
  I was taught logarithmic scales in middle school. If every concept needs to be dumbed down to a pre-middle school level for maximum accessibility (to minimize gatekeeping), you're going to end up with a public who literally can't comprehend the things they're being told because they stopped learning before middle school.
  - kortilla 3y ago
    The average comprehension is grade school level
    - giantg2 3y ago
      I believe it's a 4th grade level, specifically. I think that's part of the basis for the show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader.
- ben_w 3y ago
  That's a reason to not use Latin; but when it comes to numbers and scales… I was surprised to discover that other people are themselves often surprised when they learn that a billion is a thousand times larger than a million.
  - closewith 3y ago
    Which is itself a relatively recent standardisation. Up to the '70's, a billion could beat thousand million or million million depending on where you were.
    - Toutouxc 3y ago
      Which standardization? The world is still very much split between the long and short scale (and other systems) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_and_short_scales https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_and_short_scales

salad-tycoon 3y ago

I like the response, seems very astute of an observation. Interpreting this in the worse light possible… in other words, gate keeping. I think a lot more people could understand and be mature in a lot more things if artificial and archaic barriers weren’t erected. I think not trusting the public is a recipe for an obscure elite ruling class. Sure, not a whole lot of people will get it but at least be open about it. Then again, maybe there is a benefit to using that particular scale and I’ve been poisoned by my generational ills. Not trying to be argumentative. If I hazarded a guess it’s the second reason right?

topherclay 3y ago
There's no artificial barriers being errected here by deciding to say "8" instead of writing out 8 zeros.
diffeomorphism 3y ago
Obvious answer: compare 10000000 vs 7. Which is easier to understand?
Kerb_ 3y ago
I was taught logarithmic scales in middle school. If every concept needs to be dumbed down to a pre-middle school level for maximum accessibility (to minimize gatekeeping), you're going to end up with a public who literally can't comprehend the things they're being told because they stopped learning before middle school.
- kortilla 3y ago
  The average comprehension is grade school level
  - giantg2 3y ago
    I believe it's a 4th grade level, specifically. I think that's part of the basis for the show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader.
ben_w 3y ago
That's a reason to not use Latin; but when it comes to numbers and scales… I was surprised to discover that other people are themselves often surprised when they learn that a billion is a thousand times larger than a million.
- closewith 3y ago
  Which is itself a relatively recent standardisation. Up to the '70's, a billion could beat thousand million or million million depending on where you were.
  - Toutouxc 3y ago
    Which standardization? The world is still very much split between the long and short scale (and other systems) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_and_short_scales https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_and_short_scales