Lost causes

[Theodoric]

You may have noticed that yet again I have been desperately trying to explain that everything has chemicals in it, and to say that something is bad because it contains "chemicals" is a nonsense.

A few other lost causes are:

1) The English/European billion, that is 1,000,000,000,000. The American billion, that is 1,000,000,000 has now driven it completely out of use.

2) The British sulphur/sulphate etc versus the American sulfur/sulfate etc. The British version is still hanging on, but IUPAC may have delivered a death blow to it by opting for sulfur.

3) British aluminium versus American aluminum. We are definitely in with a chance here, especially as IUPAC have sided with the British spelling. The fact that all other metallic elements end in "ium" should also help to see off the American contender.

4) "Organic" foodstuffs. Yet again common-sense has been overwhelmed by slapdash use of the language.

[homealone]

I'm with you on the attitude to 'chemicals', Theodoric. Did you watch the start of the new tv series last week, on channel 4, called 'The Theory of Everything', very interesting stuff.

Historical lost causes, have included the theory that atoms were the smallest division of matter & more recently the concept that protons & neutrons were themselves fundamental, with the theory they are made of quarks.

The string theory, described in the programme above, could make a lost cause of the idea that electromagnetism & gravity are different forces.

[Chimaera]

/Ducks as conversation matter flies straight over her head.....

[Maggy J]

sorry suffering from fried brain.


incog.

and the twitch in my cheek has gone demented.stress levels have gone through the roof.

you seem to be some kind of scientist,theodoric.what causes these twitches?

[homealone]

[quote=morris]

Originally Posted by Theodoric

You may have noticed that yet again I have been desperately trying to explain that everything has chemicals in it, and to say that something is bad because it contains "chemicals" is a nonsense.

A few other lost causes are:

1) The English/European billion, that is 1,000,000,000,000. The American billion, that is 1,000,000,000 has now driven it completely out of use.QUOTE]




so if 1,000,000,000,000 is a billion and 1,000,000 is a million, what is 1,000,000,000 called?

it would be called one thousand million - I think we ought to swap to SI names - so a thousand Pounds would be a kilopound & a million would be a megapound - that makes one thousand million a gigapound & an English billion a terapound

- interesting, if you say the above names using 'buck' instead of 'pounds', it sounds 'snappier' - could this be why the English billion failed?

[Shaun]

Originally Posted by morris

that sounds stupid to me, we don't have a thousand thousand's or a thousand hundred's, so why have a thousand million?

Because it's a logical progression, if you write it out you'll see


I hate the Americans sometimes they always mess with our language, just look at this software it uses color rather than colour

[Jerrek]

1) The English/European billion, that is 1,000,000,000,000. The American billion, that is 1,000,000,000 has now driven it completely out of use.
Interesting observation. I believe the British system goes something like this:

1,000,000 - million
1,000,000,000 - milliard
1,000,000,000,000 - billion
1,000,000,000,000,000 - billiard
1,000,000,000,000,000,000 - trillion

However, the United States, Canada, and pretty much the rest of the English speaking world excluding the United Kingdom uses:

1,000,000 - million
1,000,000,000 - billion
1,000,000,000,000 - trillion
1,000,000,000,000,000 - quadrillion
1,000,000,000,000,000,000 - quintillion


I didn't realize that the first system is still in use, to be honest with you. Even BBC uses the American system.

In other languages though, it seems that the first system (English one) is still being used, such as French, Germany, Dutch, and so on.

I prefer the second one. It makes a little more sense to me.



2) The British sulphur/sulphate etc versus the American sulfur/sulfate etc. The British version is still hanging on, but IUPAC may have delivered a death blow to it by opting for sulfur.
Oh hmm, I didn't know about this one. I've always thought it was sulfur. :p


3) British aluminium versus American aluminum. We are definitely in with a chance here, especially as IUPAC have sided with the British spelling. The fact that all other metallic elements end in "ium" should also help to see off the American contender.
Yes, I remember, you guys have a really really odd way of pronouncing aluminum. Canada also says "aluminum."


I don't know what is so important about the IUPAC though. What does it matter which one they choose? Don't dig "sulphur's" grave just yet. I mean, we write cesium, aluminum, and sulfur. You write caesium, aluminium, and sulphur. No matter what the IUPAC say, we will write what we think is correct (American way... :p) and you will hopefully do the same.



described in the programme above
"described in the program above" -- no "me" at the end. :p



they always mess with our language
Aw come now... We just improve it... :p




So this makes me wonder... To those that are programmers, do you sometimes kick yourself because you wrote <colour> instead of <color>? Or tried to use a .colour property, which does not exist, instead of .color (say in Java, or C++, or Delphi...)...

[homealone]

Originally Posted by morris

that sounds stupid to me, we don't have a thousand thousand's or a thousand hundred's, so why have a thousand million?

who you calling stupid - stupid

neither do you have tens of ones

cos the si system deals with factors of 3, not 2 - millilitres & litres - not centilitres, for example?

A thousand million - is 10^9 - its better as a giga

[ic14]

Originally Posted by Jerrek

described in the programme above
"described in the program above" -- no "me" at the end. :p

No Program as in computer Progrm, or Programme as in TV programme
eg"That new TV programme was rubbish!"

[Jerrek]

I saw being silly. :p You guys add "me" after it, we don't. We say "That new TV program was stupid." (or other adjective... "rubbish" isn't in our vocabulary.)

[Jerrek]

OK I have another question. I pronounce schedule like this: http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/audio.pl?...1.wav=schedule

Some people have a funny way of doing it, sort of a "sh" sound in the beginning. Is that Oxford English, or the Aussies? Or both? Eeeh.

[Ramrod]

Originally Posted by Jerrek

1) The English/European billion, that is 1,000,000,000,000. The American billion, that is 1,000,000,000 has now driven it completely out of use.
Interesting observation. I believe the British system goes something like this:

1,000,000 - million
1,000,000,000 - milliard
1,000,000,000,000 - billion
1,000,000,000,000,000 - billiard
1,000,000,000,000,000,000 - trillion

Yea, but thats just pants:p

However, the United States, Canada, and pretty much the rest of the English speaking world excluding the United Kingdom uses:

1,000,000 - million
1,000,000,000 - billion
1,000,000,000,000 - trillion
1,000,000,000,000,000 - quadrillion
1,000,000,000,000,000,000 - quintillion

Now that makes sense.

I prefer the second one. It makes a little more sense to me.

Yup!

Yes, I remember, you guys have a really really odd way of pronouncing aluminum.

Um....how do I say 'p*ss off', politely?

I don't know what is so important about the IUPAC though. What does it matter which one they choose? Don't dig "sulphur's" grave just yet. I mean, we write cesium, aluminum, and sulfur. You write caesium, aluminium, and sulphur. No matter what the IUPAC say, we will write what we think is correct (American way... :p) and you will hopefully do the same.

(see my above comment)

described in the programme above

"described in the program above" -- no "me" at the end. :p

ditto.....

they always mess with our language

Aw come now... We just improve it... :p

[Jerrek]

thousand million = milliard in the English system

[Ramrod]

Originally Posted by Jerrek

thousand million = milliard in the English system

Is that like a mallard?

[homealone]

Originally Posted by Jerrek

OK I have another question. I pronounce schedule like this: http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/audio.pl?...1.wav=schedule

Some people have a funny way of doing it, sort of a "sh" sound in the beginning. Is that Oxford English, or the Aussies? Or both? Eeeh.

shedule or skedule is a good one - lootenant or left-tenant, anyone?