American Starts Debate About Whether Fahrenheit is the Superior Temperature System

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Jul 10, 2023 1:30 PM EDT

If there is one thing that all nationalities can agree on, it's that the USA has a sense of exceptionalism. They either do things differently to the rest of the world, or they like to think they do. 

Famously, this mentality boils right down to the decimal point. Americans choose to measure things in a way that puts them in a global minority, and this is something that has become the topic of debate recently on one Twitter.com. They are one of only three nationalities that does not prescribe to the metric system, and that includes the temperature outside. 

In the eyes of many around the world, Fahrenheit is as American as the Fourth of July. This also means that like many things USA-related, it can inspire argument. Being nothing but a number was never going to save the Fahrenheit system from the scrutiny on Twitter. People on both sides make some points. 

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  • 01
    Font - brecht apologist @madisontayt_ my most american take is that fahrenheit is actually superior to celsius in a practical, human sense. like 100 is hot and O is cold, that's so straightforward. if it's a nice day it's essentially 65%-70% hot out. like duh it just makes sense Follow
    via madisontayt_
  • 02
    Font - Mia Mulder @Potatopolitics. 1d It's only like this for Americans though! It only sounds practical because you're used to it! For me, 30 is hot, O is freezing (makes sense for when it'll snow/rain) and all the negatives are degrees of how cold it is. It makes perfect practical sense to me!
    via Potatopolitics
  • 03
    Font - Ashley Reese @offbeatorbit - 2d Piggybacking off of this, my most American take is that the way Americans write dates (month-date-year) makes a lot more sense contextually than the European way (date-month-year). Listing the month first, for lack of a better word, anchors the calendar day. Why list day first?!
    via offbeatorbit
  • 04
    Font - Im @leftatlondon on... @LeftAtLondon Follow Replying to @madisontayt_ a fun fact is that -40 degrees celsius is also -40 degrees Fahrenheit. another fun fact is that that is also the hottest temperature that dippin dots can be stored in before they start melting.
    via LeftAtLondon
  • 05
    Font - p-funk @SunWuTzu - 2d Replying to @madisontayt_ The reason it's a very American opinion is because you think this isn't entirely to do with what you've been habituated to but rather something about O being cold? What's special about OF that it couldn't be a bit warmer or colder? OF at 10 degrees hotter still very cold
    via SunWuTzu
  • 06
    Font - Brian Hunter @_Brian_Hunter . 2d Replying to @madisontayt_ I prefer Kelvin
    via _Brian_Hunter
  • 07
    Facial expression - Andrew Cheung @acheung19.2d Replying to @madisontayt_ just because the temperature follows the grading system (avg = 70) doesn't make it good
    via acheung19
  • 08
    Organism - EcuadorianCo... @EcuaComrade Follow Replying to @madisontayt_ I also beg to differ, in C you can easily gage how the temperature feels with the scale, you simply appreciate the difference between each degree more.
    via EcuaComrade
  • 09
    Font - lily @lilyroseso. 2d Replying to @madisontayt_ Yeah but everyone feels temperature differently. Individually and by sex so what's the point? Growing up with Celsius's means you think in those terms, same as F does. If it's hot out I think it's 28-30 degrees, it's just an learned. response to it.
    via lilyroseso
  • 10
    Font - Safer Haywood @SaferHaywood • 2d Replying to @madisontayt_ this is the most common take i see that completely ignores the fact that the system you grew up using feels more intuitive. it's snowing and you're telling me it's 30 degrees?! pure insanity to me. if water, the thing that sustains our biosphere, is freezing, that's fully cold.
    via SaferHaywood
  • 11
    Map - Rafa @olicitybuddie. 22h No. You just live with Fahrenheit and you try to make sense of something that makes no sense. At O° degrees water starts to freeze and at 100° it starts to boil, it's not hard. 99% of the world uses Celsius for a reason, you just want to be quirky Celsius Fahrenheit
    via olicitybuddie
  • 12
    Font - leo @forzeth. 1d I think this argument is really interesting because it shows how people tend to think of things they're used to as natural and inherently superior even if they're equally as abstract as the other option
    via forzeth
  • 13
    Plant - tea нет войне @NOTteawith bread Follow "fahrenheit is better because 100 is hot and O is cold" somehow this is such an american thing to say
    via NOTteawithbread
  • 14
    Human body - Hamburglar's Death... @midosommar Follow The whole basis of Celsius is that 100 is boiling and O is freezing....
    via midosommar
  • 15
    Font - Typell Monogatar... @prototypell I'm sorry but this is like an English first language person saying that the English language makes more sense because the way to spell words is more obvious Follow
    via prototypell
  • 16
    Font - j, still listening @j_quadrifrons Follow THIS IS OBJECTIVELY TRUE FAHRENHEIT WAS DESIGNED BASED ON HUMAN PERCEPTION USE CELSIUS FOR SCIENCE WHERE IT MAKES SENSE AND USE FAHRENHEIT FOR HUMANS
    via j_quadrifrons

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twitter hot Twitter Thread fahrenheit cold weather celsius numbers temperature funny twitter
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