Comments on: Scientific literacy test https://habitablezone.com/2011/12/10/scientific-literacy-test/ Fri, 03 Apr 2026 18:20:54 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2011/12/10/scientific-literacy-test/#comment-9580 ER Sat, 17 Dec 2011 20:38:12 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=5858#comment-9580 I was briefly N of the Arctic Circle in October, '68, in maneuvers with the Nato fleet in "Operation Silvertower" in the Norwegian Sea, near Iceland. The temps were well below freezing the whole time, but it never dipped under 0 degrees F. Our only liberty port on that cruise was Edinburgh, Scotland. It was cold enough there to wear our blues ashore, but I remember how green the vegetation was compared to the drab gray of the sea, and that there was no snow on the ground. Maybe it was so warm because we were in the Gulf Stream. Great fun, I got a chance to operate very closely with Soviet destroyers and naval recon aircraft. The Bisons would fly close enough to us I could see their airmen taking pictures of us through the plexiglass blisters on their aircraft. Nato was pretending to invade Norway, the Russians were pretending to defend it. I was awarded the Order of the Blue Nose for crossing the Circle. I already had earned The Order of the Golden Dragon (for crossing the International Date Line). I never did cross the Equator, though. I hear that is a dreadful intiation ceremony. I also crossed the Prime Meridian on the way home (we returned via the Channel) but I do not recall any ceremony for that one. I never saw England, except for a glimpse of the Isle of Wight through binoculars. I was briefly N of the Arctic Circle in October, ’68, in maneuvers with the Nato fleet in “Operation Silvertower” in the Norwegian Sea, near Iceland. The temps were well below freezing the whole time, but it never dipped under 0 degrees F. Our only liberty port on that cruise was Edinburgh, Scotland. It was cold enough there to wear our blues ashore, but I remember how green the vegetation was compared to the drab gray of the sea, and that there was no snow on the ground. Maybe it was so warm because we were in the Gulf Stream.

Great fun, I got a chance to operate very closely with Soviet destroyers and naval recon aircraft. The Bisons would fly close enough to us I could see their airmen taking pictures of us through the plexiglass blisters on their aircraft. Nato was pretending to invade Norway, the Russians were pretending to defend it.

I was awarded the Order of the Blue Nose for crossing the Circle. I already had earned The Order of the Golden Dragon (for crossing the International Date Line). I never did cross the Equator, though. I hear that is a dreadful intiation ceremony. I also crossed the Prime Meridian on the way home (we returned via the Channel) but I do not recall any ceremony for that one.

I never saw England, except for a glimpse of the Isle of Wight through binoculars.

]]> By: bowser https://habitablezone.com/2011/12/10/scientific-literacy-test/#comment-9515 bowser Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:40:09 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=5858#comment-9515 What? What?

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2011/12/10/scientific-literacy-test/#comment-9482 ER Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:50:11 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=5858#comment-9482 I've never been in below 0 F temperature in my life. Even when I was N of the Arctic Circle, the temperature was in the teens. I’ve never been in below 0 F temperature in my life. Even when I was N of the Arctic Circle, the temperature was in the teens.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2011/12/10/scientific-literacy-test/#comment-9481 ER Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:48:06 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=5858#comment-9481 I don't think the use of fractions was made obsolete by the metric system at all. The metric system certainly doesn't deprecate fractions. Its just that the ratio 180:100 can be reduced to 9/5 in your head. Dividing 9 by 5 to get a decimal requires pencil and paper. The metric system is about weights and measures, not fractions. Half a kilo is just as legit as 500 grams. Now try this on for size. 12 pence to a shilling, 20 shillings to a pound. Two shillings snd six pence is a half-crown (no such thing as a crown since the middle ages), and two shillings is a florin. Twenty one shillings is a guinea (for which no coin or note exists, although lots of things are priced in guineas). Pennies are availlable in one, two, three, four and six denominations (penny, tuppence, thruppence, fourpence, and sixpence) and in half and quarter penny coins (ha'penny and farthing. Now THAT's a system that really needed metric reform. I don’t think the use of fractions was made obsolete by the metric system at all. The metric system certainly doesn’t deprecate fractions. Its just that the ratio 180:100 can be reduced to 9/5 in your head. Dividing 9 by 5 to get a decimal requires pencil and paper.

The metric system is about weights and measures, not fractions. Half a kilo is just as legit as 500 grams.

Now try this on for size. 12 pence to a shilling, 20 shillings to a pound. Two shillings snd six pence is a half-crown (no such thing as a crown since the middle ages), and two shillings is a florin. Twenty one shillings is a guinea (for which no coin or note exists, although lots of things are priced in guineas).

Pennies are availlable in one, two, three, four and six denominations (penny, tuppence, thruppence, fourpence, and sixpence) and in half and quarter penny coins (ha’penny and farthing.

Now THAT’s a system that really needed metric reform.

]]> By: RobVG https://habitablezone.com/2011/12/10/scientific-literacy-test/#comment-9478 RobVG Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:15:11 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=5858#comment-9478 <p>I don’t remember ever seeing the conversion formula written with “9/5”.</p> When measuring volume, length and mass, the metric system has rendered fractions archaic. Because I’m US centric, I see the F/C conversion formula as a prod to join the modern world. The same world that has deprecated fractions. That’s where I saw a “little” irony in the author using them. In other words, “9/5” isn’t ‘sciencey’ enough. :) I don’t remember ever seeing the conversion formula written with “9/5”.

When measuring volume, length and mass, the metric system has rendered fractions archaic. Because I’m US centric, I see the F/C conversion formula as a prod to join the modern world. The same world that has deprecated fractions. That’s where I saw a “little” irony in the author using them.

In other words, “9/5” isn’t ‘sciencey’ enough. :)

]]> By: TB https://habitablezone.com/2011/12/10/scientific-literacy-test/#comment-9477 TB Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:52:14 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=5858#comment-9477 <p>Still say it was easier to remember "-40."</p> It's possible this comes up more often if you come from Minnesota. Still say it was easier to remember “-40.”

It’s possible this comes up more often if you come from Minnesota.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2011/12/10/scientific-literacy-test/#comment-9476 ER Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:17:15 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=5858#comment-9476 By fractional coefficient, do you mean '9/5'? There can be no other choice. I don't understand what you mean by 'ironic'. Between the freezing point and boiling point there are 100 Centigrade degrees or 180 Fahrenheit degrees. The Centigrade degree has to be 180/100 or 9/5 of a Fahrenheit degree, or a little less than twice as big. I could have written that as a decimal, '1.8', but I would still get the same answers out of the formula: F = (9/5)C + 32. IF you solve the equation for C, you get C = 5/9(F-32). Once you know the boiling and freezing points in both systems, that 9 and 5 have to show up somewhere. By fractional coefficient, do you mean ’9/5′? There can be no other choice. I don’t understand what you mean by ‘ironic’.

Between the freezing point and boiling point there are 100 Centigrade degrees or 180 Fahrenheit degrees. The Centigrade degree has to be 180/100 or 9/5 of a Fahrenheit degree, or a little less than twice as big. I could have written that as a decimal, ’1.8′, but I would still get the same answers out of the formula: F = (9/5)C + 32.

IF you solve the equation for C, you get C = 5/9(F-32). Once you know the boiling and freezing points in both systems, that 9 and 5 have to show up somewhere.

]]> By: RobVG https://habitablezone.com/2011/12/10/scientific-literacy-test/#comment-9467 RobVG Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:07:21 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=5858#comment-9467 <p>It's a little ironic that you and the test writer used a fractional coefficient. n/t</p> It’s a little ironic that you and the test writer
used a fractional coefficient. n/t

]]> By: Jody https://habitablezone.com/2011/12/10/scientific-literacy-test/#comment-9405 Jody Sun, 11 Dec 2011 23:06:55 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=5858#comment-9405 I got them all right!!!!!!!!!!! ...and I have some swamp land to sell in Arizona. I got them all right!!!!!!!!!!!

…and I have some swamp land to sell in Arizona.

]]> By: FrankC https://habitablezone.com/2011/12/10/scientific-literacy-test/#comment-9404 FrankC Sun, 11 Dec 2011 22:12:49 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=5858#comment-9404 13 missed, a couple were just dumb errors. The rest would have been lucky guesses if I tried a dozen times. 13 missed, a couple were just dumb errors. The rest would have been lucky guesses if I tried a dozen times.

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