----- Original Message ----- From: <tosca...@umn.edu> To: "Nigel Gunn G8IFF/W8IFF" <ni...@ngunn.net> Cc: "AMSAT-BB" <amsat-bb@amsat.org> Sent: Friday, April 23, 2010 3:34 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Was: Arecibo, now confusing math
> On Apr 23 2010, Nigel Gunn G8IFF/W8IFF wrote: > > >Perhaps we should stick to the unambiguous exponential/scientific notation. > >Today's date is 2.01E3:4E0:2.3E1 > > > >On 23-Apr-10 11:50, Andrew Glasbrenner wrote: > >> > >> If you really want to bang your head against the wall at how man can't > >> agree on anything, take a look at the concept of long and short scales: > > Unambiguous? > > In many parts of the world, today's date would not be > 2.01E3/4E0/2.3E1 but rather would be > 4E0/2.3E1/2.01E3.2 or > 2.3E1/4E0/2.01E3.2 or > 2.01E3/2.3E1/4E0 > > Of course, April 23, 2010 seems clearer than either: > 2010/4/23 or > 2010/23/4 or > 23/4/2010 or > 4/23/2010 ... > > (IMHO, 2010/23/04 makes most sense, since simple alphabetic sorting of such > dates also comes out in chronological order, with the most significant > digits referring to the biggest chunks - years - and the leas significant > digits referring to the smallest chunks - days - but the leading zeros are > also critical because you don't want October [10] sorting before March [3] > and so it goes!) > > Face it, the human race can't agree on anything, except to disagree. > 73 de W0JT Hi ,W0JT In Italy we use 23/4/2010 or 2.3E1/4E0/2.01E3 or 2.3 x 10^1 / 4 x 10^0 / 2.01 x 10^3 Many years ago AMSAT uses another day numbar and for the AMSAT calendar the AMSAT day 0 = 1 January 1978 73" de i8CVS Domenico _______________________________________________ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
