title: Intel SSE: Why does `_mm_extract_ps` return `int` instead of `float`?
body: <p>Why does <code>_mm_extract_ps</code> return an <code>int</code> instead of a <code>float</code>?</p>
  
  <p>What's the proper way to read a single <code>float</code> from an XMM register in C?</p>
  
  <p>Or rather, a different way to ask it is: <em>What's the opposite of the <code>_mm_set_ps</code> instruction?</em></p>