iamveryDerp

iamveryDerp OP t1_j61v88f wrote

Reply to comment by Rock_man_bears_fan in TIL to decide what measurement system America should use, John Quincy Adams took 3 1/2 years to produce a 268 page Report on Weights and Measures that ultimately concluded changing to the French metric system would be too difficult for the young nation. Congress took no action on the report. by iamveryDerp

Compared to what A Jackson was bringing on, he was very old school at the time.

27

iamveryDerp OP t1_j61ukc2 wrote

Reply to comment by BaltimoreBadger23 in TIL to decide what measurement system America should use, John Quincy Adams took 3 1/2 years to produce a 268 page Report on Weights and Measures that ultimately concluded changing to the French metric system would be too difficult for the young nation. Congress took no action on the report. by iamveryDerp

Hard to say he was a crappy president because he was more famous for what he didn’t do. Serving at the close of the Era of Good Feelings, he is hailed as the original realist attempting to keep the peace. “[America] goes not abroad in search of monsters to destroy.”
As a principal author of the Monroe doctrine, he was attempting to stay true to that document, and quietly stay in her hemisphere, so to speak.
He was also caught between two times. From the old school style he kept most of the previous cabinet appointments upon being elected, and therefore faced tremendous opposition within his own office, while simultaneously refusing to take part in the newer, populist, muck-raking style of politics being brought on by Andrew Jackson.
Someone put it best that he was a great man in the right place at the wrong time, or something like that.

Edit: I would agree, however, that in perspective of his career as a whole, the 4 years he was President were the most idle, ineffectual and boring years of his amazing life.

32

iamveryDerp OP t1_j61tkhr wrote

Reply to TIL to decide what measurement system America should use, John Quincy Adams took 3 1/2 years to produce a 268 page Report on Weights and Measures that ultimately concluded changing to the French metric system would be too difficult for the young nation. Congress took no action on the report. by iamveryDerp

IIRC, he took no payment for the report. It was a passion project.
He did most of the research on his own time, which is one of the reasons it took so long, and he honestly thought it would be his literary legacy, which is why it was so unnecessarily detailed.

75

iamveryDerp OP t1_j61psrr wrote

Reply to comment by sysadminbj in TIL to decide what measurement system America should use, John Quincy Adams took 3 1/2 years to produce a 268 page Report on Weights and Measures that ultimately concluded changing to the French metric system would be too difficult for the young nation. Congress took no action on the report. by iamveryDerp

He took up gardening while serving as President, essentially because he was old school and believed the president should not be involved with legislation.

65

iamveryDerp t1_j0m8z3x wrote

Reply to How does high humidity affect perceived temperature in hot and cold environments? by MindTheReddit

What you are looking for is called the wet bulb temperature, which accounts for humidity and it’s effect on “perceived temperature.” It’s why those of us who live in the desert say “At least it’s a dry heat!”

So a “wet bulb” temperature is the reading on a thermometer when the bulb is wet and in the shade. In a less humid environment the rate of evaporation will be greater, and therefore the cooling effect will also be greater.

This is why a dry heat feels less intense, because the less humid environment makes our bodies self cooling method (sweat which evaporates) more effective.

76