this post was submitted on 04 Oct 2023
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While the asteroid is traveling too far to pose any risk to the Earth, a possible impact event with it could become a worldwide catastrophe.

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[–] Protoknuckles@lemmy.world 165 points 1 year ago (9 children)

American really will use any measurement except metric

[–] ptz@dubvee.org 42 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

If you regularly use metric in the US, you're either an aerospace engineer or a drug dealer. lol

Edit: Thank you everyone who ackshually'd my obvious joke. I'm aware metric is more widely used that that.

[–] PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee 28 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Or the military, they use it a ton

[–] AbidanYre@lemmy.world 25 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Or the military, they use it ~~a ton~~ 907kg.

[–] PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee 12 points 1 year ago (3 children)

The ton is a metric unit too isn't it?

[–] GopherOwl@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago (3 children)

A metric ton is 1000 kg. Source: Aerospace Military Industrial Complex drug dealer.

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[–] Chainweasel@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The fastest way to find out is to ask how many grams are in an ounce.

28.8? Engineer

28? Dealer

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[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 24 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I'd switch, but I've been on the Capy system my whole life, and it's just much more intuitive for me. Everyone knows how long a Capybara is. How fucking long a meter is? Beats the fuck out of me, maybe a half cap?

[–] Chainweasel@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago

It really was a disservice to my generation and after (late 30s) that they gave up on it.

[–] unoriginalsin@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago (4 children)

And we'll misapply it as well. The asteroid isn't the size of 1000 capybaras, it's as wide as 1000 capybaras lined up. Assuming it's roughly spherical, it's actually closer to the size of 524,000,000 capybaras.

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[–] Neto@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Is 1,000 capybaras equal to 10,000 guinea pigs or is it 99,729.372456 guinea pigs? I'm bad at conversions.

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[–] TransplantedSconie@lemm.ee 5 points 1 year ago

You may deny it, but capybara measurement is peak measurement.

[–] HurlingDurling@lemm.ee 5 points 1 year ago

If it were an American measurement it would be made in Hamberders

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[–] YeetPics@mander.xyz 75 points 1 year ago (3 children)
[–] Kefass@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

Real science

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[–] echodot 62 points 1 year ago (6 children)

Use measurement units damnit

[–] Airazz@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This is a measurement unit. A bit unconventional, but it's not any worse than using three grains of barley, dry and round, placed end to end lengthwise, or the length of King Henry I's foot.

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[–] MeanEYE@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

This one actually gave me a nice laugh. They are clearly taking a piss at unconventional units of measurement.

[–] OrangeJoe@lemm.ee 7 points 1 year ago

My friends and I use golden retrievers as a unit of measurement, would that have been better?

[–] oatscoop@midwest.social 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Here's a better article.

The first asteroid, named 349507 (2008 QY), is a colossal mass that is equivalent in size to a bridge.

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[–] OrteilGenou@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

I just had a huge breakfast. Easily one third of a capybara

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[–] halfempty@kbin.social 43 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yup. first time I have seen capybaras used as a unit of measurement.

[–] SatansMaggotyCumFart@lemmy.world 25 points 1 year ago (1 children)

My ex had titties the size of capybaras but it was mostly because she had the physique of a manatee.

[–] robocall@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

she was truly the sea cow of the land

[–] hperrin@lemmy.world 27 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Me, a normal human being: ah yes, one thousand capybaras large, I know exactly its size now.

Y’all are weird not knowing this measurement system. Makes as much sense as miles and inches.

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[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 25 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Remember to get out and vote!

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[–] stopthatgirl7@kbin.social 25 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Anyone downvoting this is boring and doesn’t understand the fun of capybara math 🤣

[–] Custoslibera@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago

‘Americans will literally use any other form of measurement other than metric’

[–] deconstruct@lemm.ee 23 points 1 year ago (2 children)

1.2 km long, for anyone wondering.

[–] pennomi@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Which is why it’s silly to represent the size of the asteroid in capybara lengths. We should be representing it in capybara volumes or masses. Probably be something more like 1 billion capybaras.

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[–] robocall@lemmy.world 23 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Would you rather see 1 astroid size capybara or 1000 capybara sized astroids?

[–] Unaware7013@kbin.social 5 points 1 year ago

That's easy, the capybara sized asteroids. The only ones who have to care are in space.

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[–] Hedup@lemm.ee 23 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I don't think they know how volume calculations work. When I read 1000 Capybaras, I though "huh, that's not actually that big", until they say it's actually the diameter or that much capybaras.

EDIT: I did some pocket calculations and it seems like 1000 capybaras can fit into an around 13 capybara diameter sphere.

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[–] The_Eminent_Bon@lemmy.world 22 points 1 year ago (2 children)

How big is it in beans pray tell

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[–] itsonlygeorge@reddthat.com 22 points 1 year ago (4 children)

I only accept measurements in washing machines and football fields.

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[–] at_an_angle@lemmy.one 21 points 1 year ago (1 children)

One capybara weighs on average 108lbs or about 16.5 AR-15s fully loaded.

So the asteroid weighs roughly as much as 422,559 AR-15s with a loaded 20 rd magazine. (Warning my math is bad as I'm American.)

[–] ryathal@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 year ago (3 children)

It looks like they are using the length of a capybara, which is just over a meter not the weight. So it's 1,446 ar15s in diameter.

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[–] ComradeChairmanKGB@lemmygrad.ml 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Wake up, new type of measurement system just dropped. Will America finally replace imperial?

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[–] poprocks@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

But how many bananas is that?

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[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago (2 children)

The Jerusalem Post keeps posting articles comparing asteroids to random things and I love it.

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[–] woobie@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago

We really need a bot to translate these oddball units of mass into Volkswagen Beetles like the good Lord intended. Embrace standards, ffs.

[–] edgemaster72@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

How many bananas or Toyota Corollas is that?

[–] J12@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

12 corollas

15 billion bananas

Source: im a math doctor

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i love this measurement. it belies the articles importance

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