Random memory

[pne]

When I went to America with my sister (in 1993 or thereabouts), I thought I'd memorise a couple of useful temperature conversions so that I could understand the weather forecast there.

I remembered 20 °C = 68 °F, 25 °C = 77 °F, and 30 °C = 86 °F, and thought those numbers were pleasingly symmetric (68/86, and 77 in between), which should help me remember them.

Of course, that didn't help me in a couple of places I was in during my stay (such as Arizona and Southern California), where temperatures regularly exceed 90 °F :)

Comments

[conuly]

Once it's past 90F, who cares? Just call it damn hot.

[lnbw.livejournal.com]

Ah, but sometimes you want to distinguish between 90F damn hot (uncomfortable but tolerable if you're used to it) and 110F damn hot (worried that your shoes might catch on fire)!

I was never able to get the conversion down, even after a year in the UK. Maybe I'll try to memorize your numbers, pne...

[ghewgill.livejournal.com]

One of the useful ones I used was 82 °F = 28 °C, again with nice symmetry.

And I agree with the above, re "damn hot". I did notice that the difference between 98 °F and 99°F is surprising, because at that point the outside temperature exceeds internal body temperature.

[pthalo]

The way I do it, when I don't do it exactly (though I can, quite quickly), is to remember that for every 5 Celcius there are 9 Fahrenheit. So if I know 20 is 68, then 30 is 86, 35 is 95, 40 is 104, 45 is 113, 50 is 121. Just addition. I also like to do the math exactly.