The busiest line in the New York subway system is good for more than transporting New Yorkers up and down Manhattan's east side.
The 6 train can also help you convert temperatures from degrees Celsius to degrees Fahrenheit and vice versa.
A ride up the Lexington Avenue Line takes you through stops whose numbers roughly correspond to Celsius temperatures rising at 5-degree intervals, according to a graphic posted to Twitter Monday. (See above.)
To convert Fahrenheit to Celsius, know that -10C is 14F, and then follow the NYC MTA 6 stops uptown. (Via Craig NM) pic.twitter.com/r9oFySDt2F
— Gabor Cselle (@gabor) August 8, 2016
Craig Nevill-Manning, 47, created the handy metric conversion table Sunday afternoon, after listing Fahrenheit temperatures that work out by mathematical equation to Celsius temperatures ending in 0s and 5s. His metric system magic was first reported by Gizmodo.
"I’ve been in the U.S. for 20 years now, but I still go back and forth sometimes between Celsius and Fahrenheit," said the Civic Center resident, who immigrated to the U.S. from New Zealand, of the impetus for his project. "I thought I should actually just make a table of all the exact conversions."
The numbers looked familiar: 50, 59, 68, 77.
Consulting the subway map, Nevill-Manning realized he'd discovered what he calls "a fun Sunday afternoon bit of trivia."
The chief technology officer of Sidewalk Labs, a start-up working with city officials on urban transit problems, only takes the 6 train to his office near Grand Central Terminal when he can't catch a 4 or 5.
But his chart's fans likely extend beyond 6 train riders, because, he said, "I think it's partly people who live in New York and know New York love the subway system, and there’s an intersection with math nerds."
We had to a pause for a second to clarify Nevill-Manning's statement: New Yorkers — who complain incessantly about rush-hour delays, sweaty station platforms, and impending closures — love the subway?
”I love the subway," he affirmed. "I won’t go into it in detail, but I’m just a fan of transit in general.”
Our minds are blown in more way than one.
@gabor @mccanner woah pic.twitter.com/ooJpG8NT4V
— Zack Whittaker (@zackwhittaker) August 9, 2016
