Re: OT: Converting miles/km

On 20/09/2024 01:12, Christian Weisgerber wrote:

I'm sorry, I don't know where to post this.  I'm crossposting to
alt.usage.english, because statute miles as a unit mostly afflict
the English-speaking world.
 
So you want to convert between miles and kilometers.  The conversion
factor is... uh...  A 40-year-old calculator book provides a useful
tip:  Unless you're designing a space probe, you can use ln(5).
 
WHAT?
 
Yes, the natural logrithm of 5 approximates the conversion factor
between miles and kilometers; specifically one mile is about ln(5)
kilometers.  It's accurate to four digits.
 
If nothing else, it's faster to type on a calculator.
 
I think that's hysterical.
 

You do use Google search?  Try typing '1 mile = ? kilometers' in the
google search bar.  Answer = 1.60934.

P.S. The google search bar has come a long way. It can be the source of
a lot simple-ish maths solutions, thanks to rudimentary AI.