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Mars Spirit rover (2004)

 
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It failed several days after landing because

Flash memory filled with too many files (created by takeoff, cruise, and landing, but never cleaned up).

How do they know that ? It hasn't been found. That's right "it's the programmer's fault".

Mars Climate Orbiter (1999) was lost presumably burned up
approached too close to Mars (60 km; should have been 150 km)

The miscalculation was traced to a discrepancy of units: one programming team assumed metric units (kilograms/sec), but another team used English (pounds/sec)

To the team that assumed pounds/sec -

We still get recipe sheets with quantities in lbs and oz. :roll: and meat and fish have weights in both Kilograms and pounds. Weight gain/loss is usually recorded in stones and lbs. Speeding limits in miles per hour and fuel consumtion in miles/gallon.
[ July 06, 2004: Message edited by: Helen Thomas ]
 
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The fact that they confused imperial and metric units suprised me, I thought all engineers and scientists use SI units nowadays? Certainly when I was doing my bachelors course, everything was using SI units.

Mark
 
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I dunno why you guys follow the old system of measurment.
 
Helen Thomas
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We are still with the Romans
Roman units of measurement

From the following link : "Note that a US gallon is different from a UK gallon. We are not sure of the origins of a Barrel, Gallon or Pint. If you know, please email us.Modern conversions
[ July 06, 2004: Message edited by: Helen Thomas ]
 
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Not to mention the miriad definitions for mile and foot...
 
Mark Fletcher
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I cant imagine there are many science or engineering courses out there that still teach in non SI units?
 
Pradeep bhatt
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We are still with the Romans



Here we see it on some grand-father clocks.
 
Helen Thomas
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These discrepancies will even affect software for insurance companies.
Say for example assessing the threat of risk from terrorist attacks on those huge Stadiums that Europe is currently building. Long ago it used to be cathedrals.

At least time is universal. Perhaps everything should be measured in relation to time ?
[ July 06, 2004: Message edited by: Helen Thomas ]
 
Helen Thomas
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Here's a cool site that will alow you to convert currency between the years 1264 (year of te Battle of Lewes and eight years after Simon de Montefort called the first Parliament at Oxford) and 2002.

Economic History .Net

Great if you want to see what any loose change you have rattling away may be worth.

�106.59 in the year 2002 has the same "purchase power" as �1, 10s, 50d in the year 1900.

�67.55 in the year 2002 has the same "purchase power" as �1, 10s, 50d in the year 1800.

The value of the pound rose in the nineteenth century !
Well if you take �500 in 1975 it is equivalent to r �41, 6s, 2d in 1900; or �65, 3s, 9d in 1800 ;

�1279.08 in the year 2002 has the same "purchase power" as �1, 10s, 50d in the year 1264.

It cost �63,176 to construct the HMS Victory in 1765.
�5302512.31 in the year 2002 has the same "purchase power" as �63176, s, d in the year 1765.

For those who think real money is the US dollar, the site is quite accomodating US Dollar conversions
from 1665 to 2003.

1. $10744.60 in the year 2003 hires the same amount of labor as $100 in the year 1900.
2. $1.12 in the year 1774 hires the same amount of labor as $500 in the year 2002. The Relative cost of Unskilled labour
[ July 08, 2004: Message edited by: Helen Thomas ]
 
Consider Paul's rocket mass heater.
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