this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2026
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That F is zeroed out on fucking Brine makes it the most absurd thing.
Like OK there may be an argument for base 12 or base 16 (but not both)... But a mixture of water, ice, and sodium chloride?
Like OK blame a German I guess , but at least they were smart enough to decide, "Das ist stupid"
C is pretty made up too. Why water, and why sea level? Don't complain about F if you aren't using K, where zero actually means zero. Anything else is just picking arbitrary points that you like for one reason or another.
I can't be certain that this is the exact reason, but I believe it's because metric units are based on measurements of fresh water at sea level. 1 kg = 1 litre = 1 m³ of fresh water at sea level. If fresh water at sea level has been used to standardize everything else, then why wouldn't you use it as the standard to calibrate a scale of 0 (least water movement) to 100 (most water movement)?
The problem with using K back when ⁰C were being standardized is that it's really really difficult to get your hands on some absolute zero. Also, since we generally use ⁰C to measure things here on Earth, I'd argue that the basis for C is just as arbitrary as the basis for metric. I think the equivalent of arguing for K over C would be to argue for light years or astronomical units over kilometres.
I'm not arguing for K over C. I'm arguing that C and F are both fine. People acting like C is fundamentally better are mistaken. They're both just setting 0 as some useful value that we can still go below.
Temperature is a measure of movement. If we can continue to lower or raise the temperature, these are not the lowest or highest values for movement.
And people arguing for C because it's metric are just wrong, because it isn't metric. It's frequently used by the same people who use the metric system, but it isn't metric. The metric unit for temperature is K.
I agree that K is impractical. C and F have far more utility in everyday life. In my opinion, they're both fine. For cooking, I tend to think in C. For weather, I tend to think in F. They're both just arbitrary choosing useful values, and this means they're both useful for different things.
You know what? This is completely on me. I put words in your mouth by saying that C is just as reasonable as m, l, and g, but at no point did you voice support one way or the other. For all I know, your arguments across the spectrum may be based on absolute values. Perhaps you prefer measurements for time and distance based on the hyperfine transition of hydrogen, and weight based on atomic mass.
I was pushing the rationale that arguing for metric units, which are based on freshwater at sea level, but against C, which is also based on (the perceived states of) freshwater at sea level, is an inconsistent argument. But, once again, you didn't push that narrative; I made assumptions and attributed that narrative to you.
Because it’s one of the most abundant resources available on earth that is imperative to our understanding of the existence of life and is the commonest solution regularly used by humans in scenarios where temperature is a relevant factor.
Because vast swathes of humanity live at or near sea level, where we already arbitrarily nominate the level of atmospheric pressure to be 1 ATM.
While K has a natural zero-point, the gradation (by your logic) is entirely arbitrary as well because it’s based on C and not some other cosmological constant.
I know why water was chosen. Brine also has characteristics that are useful. My point was that it's just one (specific version of a) molecule at one specific altitude, and pressure varies, so there is no true "sea level pressure". It is not a concrete thing where zero means zero.
Metric I love. C is not metric though. It's an SI unit, but not metric, as often as those are conflated. It doesn't have any fundamental advantage over F.
"<0°C" => snowy weather and my freezer is working properly is a good advantage