From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Thu, 21 Jun 2001 07:19:21 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Thu, 21 Jun 2001 07:19:10 -0400 Received: from turnover.lancs.ac.uk ([148.88.17.220]:1775 "EHLO helium.chromatix.org.uk") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id convert rfc822-to-8bit; Thu, 21 Jun 2001 07:18:50 -0400 Mime-Version: 1.0 Message-Id: In-Reply-To: <83JR8lhmw-B@khms.westfalen.de> In-Reply-To: <200106082116.f58LGd2497562@saturn.cs.uml.edu> <83JR8lhmw-B@khms.westfalen.de> Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2001 12:18:12 +0100 To: kaih@khms.westfalen.de (Kai Henningsen), linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org From: Jonathan Morton Subject: Re: temperature standard - global config option? Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" ; format="flowed" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8BIT Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org > > > Only the truly stupid would assume accuracy from decimal places. >> >> Well then, tell all the teachers in this world that they're stupid, and tell >> everyone who learnt from them as well. > >*All*? > >> I'm in high school (gd. 11, junior) >> and my physics teacher is always screaming at us for putting too many >> decimal places or having them inconsistent. > >Ok, *yours*. > >But yours is not all. I certainly don't remember ever seeing that attitude >in school. > >And yes, this behaviour *is* stupid. Someone who thinks like that should >never be allowed to become a science teacher. *cough* I've been taught by every Maths, Engineering and Physics teacher/lecturer I've encountered to write down significant figures consistent with the precision of the value. So blindly writing down a value of 59.42886726469 ±2°C is obviously ludicrous, even if that's what my calculator gives me. I should instead write 59 ±2°C, since that is the most precision I can possibly know it to. With some advanced measuring techniques it *may* be acceptable to write 59.43 ±2°C *at most*, and then only if you really know why you need the extra information. The UK education system is one of the better ones available, and the above philosophy is consistently held throughout it. I'd be well advised not to argue, especially since it's common sense. -- -------------------------------------------------------------- from: Jonathan "Chromatix" Morton mail: chromi@cyberspace.org (not for attachments) website: http://www.chromatix.uklinux.net/vnc/ geekcode: GCS$/E dpu(!) s:- a20 C+++ UL++ P L+++ E W+ N- o? K? w--- O-- M++$ V? PS PE- Y+ PGP++ t- 5- X- R !tv b++ DI+++ D G e+ h+ r++ y+(*) tagline: The key to knowledge is not to rely on people to teach you it.