The temperature scales

This week on The Sound Kitchen, you'll hear the answer to the question about the Fahrenheit and Celsius temperature scales. There's interesting information about the ancient Mesopotamian civilization, listener news, great music - and of course, the new quiz question. Just click on the arrow in the photo above and enjoy!

Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday. You'll hear the winner's names announced and the week's quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you've grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

I want to hear from you about your little moments of joy. Small, daily things: a beautiful sunset, a baby's laugh. Let's add that as a very nice ingredient to our communal cooking – let's share the joy! In these crazy times, we all need it … write to me at  [email protected]

For our DX enthusiast and shortwave listener friends: I am sad to announce we no longer have a shortwave frequency; we have severe budget constraints which no longer permit us to broadcast via shortwave.

But you can still hear us on World Radio Network. As you know, we now broadcast only 1 hour per day, Monday – Friday, from 14:00 to 15:00 UTC/GMT.

For North America: WRN broadcasts the quotidian RFI English programme three times a day from Monday to Friday, from 06:00 to 06:59, from 10:00 to 10:59 and from 16:00 to 16h59 UTC/GMT.

http://babcock.media/world-radio-network/networks/english-north-america/

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http://babcock.media/world-radio-network/networks/english-africa-asia/

For Europe: WRN broadcasts the quotidian RFI English programme three times a day from Monday to Friday, from 07:00 to 07:50, from 12:00 to 12:59 and from 20:00 to 20:59 UTC/GMT.

http://babcock.media/world-radio-network/networks/english-europe/

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To listen to our features, go to our website and click on “Features”. You'll see all of our features (now podcasts only). You can either listen directly, or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone. Don't give up on us!

Teachers, take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is [email protected]

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Welcome to our new RFI Listeners Club member, Dr Thiagasambandam Elampooranan from Chennai, India. 

So glad you have joined us!
You too can be a member of the RFI Listeners Club – just write me at [email protected] and tell me you want to join, and I'll send you a membership number. It's that easy. When you win a Sound Kitchen quiz as an RFI Listeners Club member, you receive a premium prize.

RFI Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni ([email protected]) and Chrystelle Nammour ([email protected]) from our Listener Relations department on all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me ([email protected]) when you write them so that I know what is going on, too. N.B. You do not need to send them your quiz answers! Email overload!

We've made a Facebook page just for you, the RFI English Clubs. It is a closed group, so when you apply to join, be sure you include the name of your RFI Club and your membership number. Everyone can look at it, but only members of the group can post on it. If you haven't yet asked to join the group, go to the Facebook link above and fill out the questionnaire!!!!! (if you do not answer the questions, I click “decline”).

This week's quiz: On 11 May, I asked you a question about temperatures. You were to send in the names and nationalities of the scientists who invented the two temperature scales, the Fahrenheit scale and the Celsius scale. I also asked you to send in when the scales were invented, as well as the temperature when the two scales agree, or are equal.

The answers are: For the Fahrenheit scale: Dutch–German-Polish physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit. He came up with his scale in 1724. The Fahrenheit scale was the first standardized temperature scale to be widely used.

For the Celsius scale: Its father is Anders Celsius. Celsius developed a similar temperature scale to the one we use today, in 1742. His scale, however, was the opposite of what we use today: 0 represented the boiling point of water, while 100 represented the freezing point of water. The Celsius scale was reversed in 1744 by Celsius' compatriot, Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus.

And what is the common temperature of the two scales? Minus 40.

The winners this week are: RFI Listeners Club members Nasyr Muhammad from Katsina State, Nigeria; Samuel Francis from St Catherine, Jamaica; Mohammad Akhsan from Dhaka, Bangladesh and Zenon Teles, from the Christian – Marxist – Leninist - Maoist Association of Listening DX-ers in Goa, India. Last but not least, Ras Franz Manko Ngogo, the president of the Kemogemba RFI Club in Tarime, Mara, Tanzania.

Congratulations winners!
Here's the music you heard on this week's program: “Che Mali Wali" by Munir Bashir; a traditional 13th century English dance performed by Artefactum; “Warm Camargues” by Frédéric Kooshmanian and Michel Estrade; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov,  and “Come let me take you to under such a sky” written and sung by Kishore Kumar.

Do you have a musical request? Send it to [email protected]

This week's question ... You'll have to listen to the show to participate. You have until 15 July to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 20 July podcast. When you enter, be sure you send your postal address in with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:
[email protected]
or
Susan Owensby
RFI – The Sound Kitchen
80, rue Camille Desmoulins
92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux
France
or
By text … You can also send your quiz answers to The Sound Kitchen mobile phone. Dial your country's international access code, or “ + ”, then 33 6 31 12 96 82. Don't forget to include your mailing address in your text – and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

To find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize, click here

To find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or to form your own official RFI Club, click here