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[–]LarrySwinger2 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

The usual justification for Fahrenheit is its preciseness, but I think that doesn't hold up to scrutiny. With Celsius, water freezes at 0 degrees and boils at 100, and it has the same scale as Kelvin, which is preferred by scientists. Those properties make it elegant. On top of that, the scale is precise enough for most cases, and using "x and a half degrees" is awkward neither in spoken language, nor in writing, so preciseness isn't an issue at all. Given those things, I don't think there's sufficient justification to differ from the standard that's preferred by most of the world (and scientists worldwide).

[–]Node 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

the standard that's preferred by most of the world

Although they're falling rapidly, we've had higher standards here in the US. Our human-scale measurement systems and other high standards led the United States to do pretty well for ourselves on the world stage.

I'm personally fine with other countries hanging on to their dystopic standards. But now that American Exceptionalism has faded as the mud-flood continues, the effects of Fahrenheit are little more than a historical relic at this point.

Still, giving up Fahrenheit now would be like the UK turning moslem, or France becoming a negroid country.

[–]LarrySwinger2 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Don't be silly.

[–]Node 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

There's simply no defence for using Celsius outside of a laboratory.