A Temperature Scale with a Negative Slope

Yes, really. The Delisle (°D) temperature scale has a negative slope. (The original version of the Celsius scale did as well.) Check out Wikipedia's comparison of temperature scales.

I just tweeted about it.

Delisle (°D): because we like temperature scales with a negative slope (cue Tom Jones): https://t.co/znCcYoJR0s pic.twitter.com/m5M5nmnyZa

— Mason Porter (@masonporter) February 15, 2016

I started going down the rabbit hole earlier today because of today's XKCD.

It's Official: Hell Has Frozen Over

Yup, that's right: Hell has frozen over because of the polar vortex that is sweeping (part of) the nation. Perhaps that's because it's in Michigan?

(Tip of the cap to Andy Sayer.)

A Local Version of Global Warming

An ice age has hit my refrigerator (and freezer), and it's reached the point that a drink is actually jammed in there and can't be removed because it's stuck in the ice. (This was a glass of vodka that a friend of mine left after my 2009 birthday party. I don't drink, so it's just stayed there for 4.5 years.) My version of global warming is now in progress, and it involves lots of towels. This is what happens if you let something like this wait several years too long.

Update (8/13/13): Operation "Local Warming" has now reached Hour 31. The heavy machinery was brought in on Day 2, and I'm also keeping the door of the kitchen closed so that it stays warm enough to actually melt the ice. The vodka is no longer stuck and the refrigerator seems to finally be out of the ice age now. Here is how things looked in April (and things were even more severe last week, when I finally got around to doing something about it). The vodka in the freezer is literally jammed. (Somebody local should let me know if they want the vodka, by the way. I don't drink, so it's free to a good home.) We have now brought out the heavy machinery.

Some Like It Hot

Apparently, baseball players become more aggressive as temperature increases. The heat is on...

(Tip of the cap to Justin Howell.)