Celsius Temperatures
Why do we have Celsius and Fahrenheit? Is it because Mr. Celsius and Mr. Fahrenheit didn’t like each other and who is this Kelvin fellow I’ve been hearing about in science class?
———- from Sergai Mokonowa ofSan Francisco
It’s Ms. Celsius, actually, Linda Celsius and Bob Fahrenheit. They were originally a New Age couple in Massachusetts seeking a divorce because they felt their numerology didn’t match up. As you know, scientists have named everything from cars to rockets to planets after ancient and obsolete deities. By the time accurate temperature recording became a reality in the 1980s, all these names had been used up. That’s when meteorologists turned to Bob and Linda, who set aside their bitter differences long enough to put their names on your thermometers. Kelvin, ironically, was the correspondent in the divorce case. His real name was Raoul, but weatherpeople felt that -30 or +15 Raoul just didn’t cut the temperature mustard.
It’s Ms. Celsius, actually, Linda Celsius and Bob Fahrenheit. They were originally a New Age couple in Massachusetts seeking a divorce because they felt their numerology didn’t match up. As you know, scientists have named everything from cars to rockets to planets after ancient and obsolete deities. By the time accurate temperature recording became a reality in the 1980s, all these names had been used up. That’s when meteorologists turned to Bob and Linda, who set aside their bitter differences long enough to put their names on your thermometers. Kelvin, ironically, was the correspondent in the divorce case. His real name was Raoul, but weatherpeople felt that -30 or +15 Raoul just didn’t cut the temperature mustard. 