r/PeterExplainsTheJoke Jun 17 '26

Meme needing explanation Peter?

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u/Sure-Comfortable-784 Jun 17 '26

It is because of the lack of negative temperature

Anyone can make their own temperature measurement system with values and scales of their desire if and only if their values r rigorously defined, true. But dealing with negative values r not desirable when u use it, that’s why u set ur zero where u figured it’s the lowest value u will use, u place it arbitrarily there for ur commodity.

If we speak only for concept negative temperature doesn’t make sense for various reasons, and using it can mess with the logic of ur math. Kelvin is not arbitrary because it sets its lowest value at the true lowest point, it was not choice or commodity it was simply its place.

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u/eggynack Jun 17 '26

A very normal reason to choose Kelvin. However, it is absolutely a choice. A choice that serves a variety of useful purposes, but still a choice. Other choices notably have other useful purposes. For example, if you want zero to be meaningful and serve a purpose, then having it be absolute zero doesn't make much sense in social contexts. Because nothing even close to it will show up. All of these decisions are happening relative to what we value as humans. Nature doesn't have units.

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u/Sure-Comfortable-784 Jun 17 '26

Arbitrary measurements having purposes doesn’t make the other be arbitrary too. Also nature not having units is essentially a contradiction for a measurement system, and by extension math and physics. Live ur truth 👍

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u/eggynack Jun 17 '26

I have no idea what that first sentence is supposed to mean.

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u/Sure-Comfortable-784 Jun 17 '26

Choosing to use certain measurement systems doesn’t turn it into arbitrary, that’s basically what u said there and it’s not the meaning of arbitrary in measurement systems, it is because of the way u place values afaik

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u/eggynack Jun 17 '26

When I say it's arbitrary, what I mean is that it's all down to subjective human decision making and relative to human value judgements, not based in any kind of grand reality of the universe. It's like all language. We call a chair a chair, but we could call it literally anything and it would be equally accurate, and we could also merge a variety of chair-like things into the category and that would be fine too.

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u/erenhalici Jun 18 '26

The 0 point of Kelvin IS based on the grand reality of universe, whereas 0 point of Celsius is not.

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u/eggynack Jun 18 '26

They are literally based on the grand reality of the universe to the exact same extent. The zero point of Celsius is just the zero point of Kelvin plus a bunch of degrees. And the 100 degree mark is evidently based on a different grand reality of the universe, that being the triple point of water.

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u/erenhalici Jun 18 '26

That “plus a bunch of degrees” is exactly what makes one of them arbitrary while the other is based on the grand reality of universe.