#measurement

[principleofplenitude]

As soon as you begin to ask the question, Who loves me? you are completely screwed, because the next question is How Much? and then it is hundreds of hours later, and you are still hunched over your flowcharts and abacus, trying to decide if you have gotten enough. This is the loneliest job in the world: to be an accountant of the heart. It is late at night. You are by yourself, and all around you, you can hear the sounds of people moving in and out of love, pushing the turnstiles, putting their coins in the slots, paying the price which is asked, which constantly changes. No one knows why.

Tony Hoagland, “The Loneliest Job in the World”

[makemefat31]

I took some measurements and found out my belly is now over 50 inches

[thirdity]

When a human being becomes a set of data [...] he or she is reduced. Everything shrinks. Individual character. Friendships. Language. Sensibility. In a way it’s a transcendent experience: we lose our bodies, our messy feelings, our desires, our fears.

Zadie Smith, "Generation Why?"

[i-was-today-years-old-when]

i learned that the smoot is a unit of measure named for Oliver R. Smoot, an MIT student who as a fraternity pledge was forced to measure the Harvard Bridge using himself as a ruler. A smoot is equal to five feet, seven inches. (x)

[philosophybits]

There is no end to the weighing of things, no stop to time, no constancy to the division of lots, no fixed rule to beginning and end. Therefore great wisdom observes both far and near, and for that reason, it recognizes small without considering it paltry, recognizes large without considering it unwieldy, for it knows that there is no end to the weighing of things. It has a clear understanding of past and present, and for that reason, it spends a long time without finding it tedious, a short time without fretting at its shortness, for it knows that time has no end. It perceives the nature of fullness and emptiness, and for that reason, it does not delight if it acquires something or worry if it loses it, for it knows that there is no constancy to the division of lots.

Zhuangzi, The Complete Works of Zhuangzi, Watson tr. (Ch 17)

[slavic-roots-western-mind]

Chinese Measurement Units Guide

At first glance the Chinese clothes sizes make little sense (they still make not that much sense even at the 15th glance as well to be honest). And the fruit and veggie prices are also no odder.

Then I realized that China has its own local measurement units, so here are some unique measurement units you should look out for plus an odd one out.

1. Weight

Kilograms are used (confirmed this during my medical exam, which is a story in itself), but for things like fruits, veggies etc. 公斤 is used, which is basically kilos divided by 2.

一斤 (yī jīn）= 500g

两斤 (liǎng jīn）= 1kg*

*Even though 斤 is translated to as pounds sometimes, it's actually kilos.

This is also used for clothing sizes (on taobao at least), so if you want to get an accurateish estimate you need to convert your weight to kilos, multiple by 2 and then select a size that fits within the range.

For example: if you weight 70 kg, you then multiple that by 2 = 140斤. Clothes will usually have size ranges e.g. 120-145斤, so that could fit into the L (Large) category.

Note: Sizes vary across stores, so an L in one shop can be an XL in another store or an 2XL in a different store so be ready to contact the seller asking for more specific measurements if not too sure.

2. Length

Usually kilometres and metres are used, but there's also a local system.

0.5 km - 1里 - lǐ

1 km - 2里 - lǐ

3. Area

Same as the previous one, the western measurement units are used but there's also a local system. Not very common from what I've heard, but still pretty handy and interesting to know.

1 km² -15顷 - qǐng

4. Volume

Volume is the same as the metric system, with it's own name so no surprises here.

1 L - 1 升 - shēng

The only major issue I've had has been with the weight measurement and its conversion, but other than that there aren't many issues.

5. Contact lenses

Maybe it's a location thing, but the eye diopter thing here is slightly different.

If your prescription is -4.00, then here it'll be just -400 or just 400 without the minus if buying on Taoboa. It should be obvious (farsightedness of +4.00?? with people studying and working that much??), but it threw me off the first time I had to get my contacts here.

They range from 0 to -8.00 but with one value for the entire package, so if you have significantly different diopters in each eye e.g. -2.00 in your right and -3.00 in your left, then you may have to buy 2 packets, 1 for each eye.

[blowery]

I don't get why anyone finds US volume units confusing. Perfectly normal system. 61,440 drops to the gallon, as the creator intended.

[jimbr549]

@posttexasstressdisorder You might find this useful in your cooking. It been good around here for teaching this bunch.

[nemfrog]

Measurements. New York fashions. 1908. Catalog illustration.

Internet Archive

[thirdity]

Neoliberal psychopolitics seduces the soul; it preempts it in lieu of opposing it. It carefully protocols desires, needs and wishes instead of ‘depatterning’ them. By means of calculated prognoses, it anticipates actions – and acts ahead of them instead of cancelling them out. Neoliberal psychopolitics is SmartPolitics: it seeks to please and fulfil, not to repress.

Byung-chul Han, Psychopolitics

[danskjavlarna]

Source details and larger version.

[eshopbag]

Fun fact! the official TADC circus is roughly

2 ⅓ Wii U game pads tall!

1 ¾ Wii U game pads wide!

Do whatever you wish with this information

[tminus266]

So I took measurements, and holy crow.

I couldn’t help but make the measure tape show what it used to be and just hold it out and see how big it compares to now I am. Truly insane.

🍀🍀🍀

[philosophybits]

Consistent empiricism ends in contributions toward settling misunderstandings, or in a subscription to truth.

Friedrich Schlegel, Athenaeum Fragments

[shuuumaaaaa-main]

Area estimates of Teyvat as of Genshin Impact version 3.3: The Chasm (above ground) subregion of Liyue and the Dharma Forest subregion of Sumeru

This is my first long post regarding Genshin worldbuilding this year!

Here are various links to the writeup:

Reddit(r/Genshin_Lore) | Reddit(r/Genshin_Impact) | PDF

I paste here a copy of the abstract:

This is a continuation of the area and elevation estimates of various locations in Teyvat, following a line of work that started with areas accessible in Genshin Impact version 2.2 regarding analysis of in-game size and speculative in-lore size based on semi-historical and geographical details mentioned in the 2021 Moonchase Festival. The method is mainly a pixel to in-game then hypothetical in-lore direct conversion further compared with areas or phenomena that have similar magnitudes in real life. This study added area approximations for the above ground Chasm and Dharma Forest, Sumeru. The calculated sizes were briefly analyzed with respect to other regions in Teyvat and more extensively with respect to various real life places, institutions, and phenomena. The hypothetical in-lore size of the above ground Chasm was analyzed as an impact crater and was found to be comparable to some of the largest impact events on Earth. The in-game Chasm was similar to medium to large scale open-pit mines in real life. In a similar fashion, Dharma Forest and its various subareas were compared to various forests, cities, and academic institutions in real life, with emphasis on comparisons mostly with SSWANA countries. Overall I find that this particular conjectured in-lore conversion factor coupled with the hypothetical qualitative interpretation remains to be one reliable way to consistently resize the world of Genshin impact from in-game to plausibly realistic in-lore dimensions.

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I hope you enjoy!

Thank you for reading.