h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

> It was based upon two pre-set temperatures:
> 100° being the freezing point of water.
> 0° being the boiling point of water at standard atmospheric pressure.

Methinks someone has goofed bigtime.

Well done, incedentally, pointing out that the boiling point of a liquid depends on the atmospheric pressure. However, a big nil out of ten for getting freezing and boiling points confused.

For the physics addicts out there.. A liquid boils when it's saturated vapour pressure equals atmospheric pressure. This is why, at low pressure, water boils at a far lower temperature than it does as 'STP' (Standard Temperature and Pressure). This is also why it's virtually impossible, sans pressure cooker, to make a decent cup of tea at the summit of mount everest, or in the vacuum of space for that matter.

Now, perhaps someone can explain why a temperature probe I'm monitoring (as part of a fridge monitoring system I've written) keeps reporting back that the temperature in the fridge is -1.0x10^30°C. I think something has borked.

>However, a big nil out of ten for getting freezing and boiling
>points confused.

if you'd read on you'd see that they were later switched

Would it be too much to request more figures in the table?

The room, blood and water-boiling points in Kelvin would be fun, and who knows, may come in handy some time (in a somewhat bizarre set of circumstances)

Also fun would be boiling points of other household substances: some chosen cooking oil, alcohol . . . Also perhaps the melting point of lead, glass, steel . . . these things the idle mind delights in.

> if you'd read on you'd see that they were later switched winkeye

Shazbut!

Mia stupido.

> winkeye

??

Mia typo stupido also.