Partial vs Total
Sometimes, partial just doesn’t cut it and it’s either all or nothing. Having experienced both, I can say that a total solar eclipse is completely different than a partial solar eclipse. And for the millions of people in North America who experienced a total eclipse last week, the difference is a cloudy day vs night. The old adage of a match in a dark room applies to the total eclipse experience.
Sometimes, totality isn’t necessary. For example, I can get by with partial knowledge of what an eclipse is. There is some point on the gradient of knowledge, likely close to 20–30% range, at which point I stop freaking out that it is suddenly dark outside despite it being a sunny day moments earlier. I do not need to have an A+ in orbital mechanics to not freak out.
For a submarine, partial water tightness isn’t really helpful. And, despite products advertising 92% organic ingredients, those 8% make a difference. 99% cruelty free… so, 1% cruel?
While nothing in nature is truly binary, five-nines (i.e. 99.999%) is usually a good standard before switching things from total to “partial”. After that, the total becomes a mixture of two things and adopts new characteristics. All or nothing situations have the ability to have the biggest impact and a lasting memory.
