[grw_]

> Thermal sensors are a case in point. Today, one that costs about $1,000 and weighs as little as five sachets of sugar

Seriously, we're using _sachets of sugar_ to convey weight?

Later in the article:

> Two decades ago, he adds, a less sensitive thermal sensor weighing a kilogram cost ten times as much

And:

> A poncho called Noa lite, developed by Fibrotex, an Israeli firm that supplies America’s army, weighs less than 700g

Why do journalists do this?

[traceroute66]

> Why do journalists do this?

I know !

It must be a special part of the curriculum at Journalist School.

I imagine the conversation goes something like this....

"No Mr Young Journalist, you cannot use the metric system, and no Mr Young Journalist, you cannot use the imperial system. You must ALWAYS refer to items in relative proportion to some random object of your choice be that swimming pools, football pitches, jumbo jets or bags of sugar ... whatever takes your fancy when you get out of bed that morning, but it must NEVER be metric or imperial measurements".

[KRAKRISMOTT]

It's good writing technique to use an alternative word instead of repeating things.

[prennert]

As long as shrinkflation is keeping up with the decreasing sensor price over time, then this measure may hold true for longer than if metric or imperial measures were used

[thanatos519]

The Register does it best! https://www.theregister.com/Design/page/reg-standards-conver...

[fnordpiglet]

It’s good they specified sugar as sugar substitutes have wildly different densities. Imagine the confusion if they said “sweetener!” That’s the sort of stuff that makes space missions fail.

[IntrepidWorm]

One wonders if the packets were US specification (a precise 2 - 4 grams) or the much looser Polish designation (5 - 10 grams). It's critical to get to the bottom of this: what is the SI standard for sugar sachet?

[hammyhavoc]

Probably because journalists aren't scientists and their output is there to generate money for a publication, and fluffy bollocks means cash.

[rbanffy]

> Seriously, we're using _sachets of sugar_ to convey weight?

Anything but metric.

I get the reason - it conveys the notion on an emotional level.

But how many sparrows are that?

[smcl]

Weird thing is that I don't actually have a connection to five sachets of sugar. People might frequently handle one or two sachets at a time and can conceive of the idea that five isn't that much heavier but at that point we might as well write "... and weighs as little as 20 grams, or roughly five sachets of sugar"