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Re: Common Science Knowledge

On Thu, 27 Mar 1997 DOUGLANJ@snymorva.cs.snymor.edu wrote:

Did anyone see last Monday's "Chicago Hope?" It made me feel hopeless in
terms of general knowledge of science. One of the "doctors" supposedly
froze a tumor to "170 degrees below centigrade!" Life is sad and I'm
ready for vacation!

Nancy Douglas

I understand your frustration, but I think I know what was meant. It is
just the same as saying, "It sure is cold -- must be at least 30 below."
This is not very precise, but we know that what is meant is 30 degrees
below the zero of the Fahrenheit scale of temperature.

I can stand this on TV, but I really hate it on lab reports. What is the
zero of the scale on which the quantity is measured? -- in what units is
it measured?


W. Barlow Newbolt 540-463-8881 (telephone)
108 Parmly Hall 540-463-8884 (fax)
Washington and Lee University newbolt.w@fs.science.wlu.edu
Lexington, Virginia 24450 wnewbolt@liberty.uc.wlu.edu

"The best measure of a man's honesty isn't his income tax return. It's the
zero adjust on his bathroom scale"
Arthur C. Clarke