• Hawke@lemmy.world
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    12 hours ago

    The length of the path travelled by light in vacuum during a time interval of ⁠1/299792458⁠ of a second.

    Why?

    • resipsaloquitur@lemmy.cafe
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      11 hours ago

      Just trying to wrap my feeble American brain around these extremely intuitive measurements.

        • resipsaloquitur@lemmy.cafe
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          11 hours ago

          It’s good enough for an estimate of the size of a room, which is what it’s commonly used for.

          • Dasus@lemmy.world
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            10 hours ago

            Oh, really? You use your foot or your girlfriend’s? Because I wager those are somewhat different.

            What body part is a quart based on? Because I don’t think it’s any of them, and you could probably still eyeball a quart of water. That’s to say, just shy of a litre.

            How about one yard? Think you can do that? Great, just add a bit and you have a metre.

            It’s crazy how Americans actually be complaining about how they’re unable to estimate or perceive things if they’re not actually measuring it against the bottom of their feet. Don’t you believe you have the ability to learn? I can see why you wouldn’t, but…

            • kip@piefed.zip
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              9 hours ago

              Americans actually be complaining

              how are you attempting to disparage americans and talking like one at the same time. it’s just the name of a unit, who cares, a yard’s not the size of the boundary of their average house and barrels of oil don’t come in individual barrels

              • Dasus@lemmy.world
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                9 hours ago

                Because if I don’t assume their language, they won’t understand me, as my native language is Finnish. When talking to or about Americans, I might add a bit of American flare. It’s not grammatically correct, I know. Just double negatives.

                Also criticism and disparagement are two different things.

            • Soulg@ani.social
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              5 hours ago

              The sheer ignorance in this comment really makes the condescension even funnier.

      • i078@europe.pub
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        10 hours ago

        It’s hard to realise the difference between what it’s origin is and definition. I think it’s wise to look into the definition of the foot instead of assuming you know.

        Once finished, tell me why you still use the British unit?