Guido at Google

[Bengt Richter]

On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 16:40:15 -0500, Peter Hansen <peter at engcorp.com> wrote:

>rbt wrote:
>> Alex Martelli wrote:
>> 
>>>I don't think there was any official announcement, but it's true -- he
>>>sits about 15 meters away from me;-).
>> 
>> For Americans: 15 meters is roughly 50 feet.
>
>Google can do that too, of course. <wink>
>
>http://www.google.com/search?q=convert+15+meters+to+feet
>
>(49.2125984 feet to be more precise)
>
Actually that looks like it's based on the approximation
of 25.4 mm/inch, whereas I believe the legally defined US conversion
is 39.3700 inches/meter. They're close. British is 39.3701 for some reason.
At least according to my dusty 37th Edition Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (c) 1955.
Maybe things have changed since then ;-)

 >>> 15e3/25.4/12
 49.212598425196852

Appears to be the google number

But the official conversion

 >>> 1000/39.37
 25.400050800101603

is not _exactly_ 25.4 mm/inch
so the distance from Martellibot to BDFL should
more exactly be

 >>> 15*39.37/12
 49.212499999999999

Send bug report to google ;-)

Regards,
Bengt Richter