Re: Our 'humiliating' mistakes.

[msantos@etse.urv.es]

> An error of the same sort as mine was made once by Farrington Daniels,
> a Chemistry Professor at the University of Wisconsin. Just before a
> freshman lecture Daniels did a calculation which indicated to him that
> the metabolic heat required to melt thirty grams of ice would offset
> 3000 Calories of dietary intake. He made the mistake of blurting out
> his discovery to the class, at which point a student respectfully
> inquired about the possibility that Daniels had confused calories and
> Calories. Of course he had; the requirement was to eat thirty
> ... 
> Leigh
Hi all,
 I remember once the list advertised me ther was a difference
between 'calories' and 'Calories'...
Is this really a standard? In the I.S. of units, we are told
to use :
	kC, MC, mC, muC, pC,...

I guess it is only a U.S. distinction, I've never before seen it.

Indeed, is it really usefui? convenient? 
I can hardly accept that such tiny differences can be given
any meaning without introducing a source of ambiguity, 
misunderstandings. 

Physics tries to provide a language fre from ambiguities, isn't
that tiny distinction between 'c' an 'C' put too far?

What sense does it has to discuss if 's' is more
adequate than 'seg' or not if one accepts such former
distinction?

I hope that nice atmosphere againts mistakes,errors and
silly questions is still alive...

Regards,
M.A.Santos
msantos@etse.urv.es