
Preferred number - RhysU
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preferred_number
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namuol
That must explain this:
[http://thingsfittingperfectlyintothings.tumblr.com/](http://thingsfittingperfectlyintothings.tumblr.com/)

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kissickas
Possibly more popular with the HN audience:

[http://www.reddit.com/r/perfectfit](http://www.reddit.com/r/perfectfit)

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natural219
A related concept is the "Schelling point" (or focal point) in game theory:

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focal_point_(game_theory)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focal_point_\(game_theory\))

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Hermel
Interestingly, the R5 intervals are quite close to the golden ratio (1 :
1.618).

Also, I often wondered whether the US use different preferred numbers for
buildings, because everything just feels a little different and out of
proportion to me. However, this could also be due to the non-metric system in
the US.

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kijin
The numbers cited in the article are convenient only if the relationship
between your units can be expressed with powers of 10.

My biggest petty complaint is with the 8" x 11" (Letter) paper size and
related formats like Legal and Ledger. The ratios are all over the place. The
European A0/A1/A2/A3/A4/A5/A6 papers all have a ratio of 1 : 1.414 (square
root of 2), so two sheets of A _x_ always fit exactly into one sheet of A _y_
where _y_ = _x_ \- 1.

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jzwinck
You know what's worse than having paper sizes with differing aspect ratios?
Having different paper sizes by region. The simple fact that if someone in the
US sends me their CV and I print it in London, it comes out looking bad
(sometimes even sideways, by some bizarre quirk of some rather expensive
printers).

I mean, sure, the paper sizes used in engineering in the US have the property
that two smaller ones side by side match the next larger size
([http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/drafting-paper-sizes-
d_214...](http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/drafting-paper-sizes-d_214.html))
but it's still a pain because it's all denominated in inches. There's no
reason for that at all--it's not like there is value in having engineering
drawings printed on physical paper with round-inch dimensions--even if the
drawings are in inch scale.

So, US people: step up and abandon your paper sizes, because no one else is
going to do it.

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Morgawr
This pleases my OCD so much.

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jmpe
The feature length in integrated circuits.

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moocowduckquack
Is this why kitchens feel like minecraft?

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baking
1-2-5 should be renamed R3 and every thing above R10 and E12 should just be
discarded.

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BlackDeath3
Why?

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baking
Because I said so, of course.

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pyrocat
What?

