Posted on 08/22/2013 6:49:03 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
I’ve met a lot of people and learned a lot while traveling Europe the past several weeks. Of all the things I have had to explain to fellow travels as not only an American – but a Texan – by far the most frustrating thing is our stubborn refusal to embrace the metric system. I can confidently argue the finer points of how the use of y’all and the plural form all y’all are descriptive and have a place in the American lexicon. I take pleasure in explaining the intricacies of chicken fried foods.
But the metric system is another matter. “I don’t understand why y’all don’t use the metric system” is something I’ve heard too often. I don’t argue with them because there is no technical argument for why we haven’t adopted the Système Internationale – our refusal is based on emotion and familiarity.
Our choice of unit system is perhaps more important now than in recent years. Science is conducted using the language of SI units. If we want to have a scientifically literate populace, we should make sure that scientists and non-scientists speak the same language. In terms of national competitiveness, Americans are competing on a global market of information now more than ever. We are at a disadvantage by not speaking the international language of science at a time when we are struggling with truly global issues like climate change and resource depletion.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology, the government arm that sets standards and measurements to support American competitiveness, concludes that “the current effort toward national metrification is based on the conclusion that industrial and commercial productivity, mathematics and science education, and the competitiveness of American products and services in world markets, will be enhanced by completing the change to the metric system of units. Failure to complete the change will increasingly handicap the Nation’s industry and economy.”
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The measures in metric are easy, AS LONG AS YOU DON’T HAVE TO CONVERT from one to the other.
It wouldn’t take long to figure out when it hot outside in metric. Same thing for speed limits and distances. Fortunately, a liter is about the same as a quart.
I’d be reluctant at my age to change over, but I was willing back in the 70s, if it had caught on.
Precisely. Which explains the f'ing mess we're in.
And you expect gratitude?
No I expect to be drowned as a witch.
“I refuse to use it just because it annoys Europeans. I’m not giving them the satisfaction.”
LOL and I agree!
No, it’s “Give ‘em a centimeter... and they’ll take a kilometer”. See how much better that sounds? /s
No, it's "Give 'em an inch... and they'll think they're a ruler"!
You probably won’t be smothered with garlands.
lol
prejudge much? you won’t win many over with your condescending attitude...
So today a football field would be 91.4 Meters and the base paths would be 2743.2 Centimeters? ;~))
indeed!
Agree with you...our units of measure are real things.
I don’t let it creep in either...liters? wtf? QUARTS...thats the way to go.
Give ‘em a centimeter and they’ll take a kilometer.
I KNOW what an inch is and a teaspoon...keep your metirc nonsense.
I have a science background and can do both metric and American. I prefer American.
Up in the BWCA in N. MN they still mark portage lengths in rods. It’s a nice anachronism. I like it.
If you’ve ever carried a canoe and a pack 450 rods you know viscerally how long a rod is.
RE: I have a science background and can do both metric and American
Oh, so the English System is now the American System.... nice.
Just tell me to eat some spotted dick and go to the dentist. I haven’t met an Englishman yet that wasn’t snooty.
Joules are total energy. To figure out a power load those electricians will have to understand the tricky metric power unit of .... watts. A joule is one watt-second and a kilowatt hour is 3.6 million joules.
One job I had did everything in metric because we had so many foreign customers. Any measurement in inches had to be converted from internal measurements in millimeters. It is far easier to get a 6mm bolt here that a 1/4" bolt in the field in a factory in Whogiveadamistan.
I suspect though, that the English system will be around for a long time. Those who come after us in this country will be burdened with a measurement system whose length measurements, for example, were originally based on a royal decree that the "foot" measurement would be based on the average length of the male foot in one instance and twelve "barleycorns" in another. I have no idea what a barleycorn is, so please don't ask. And, yes, those men had unusually long feet in the days of that royal decree.
So, my wish for all of you who so tightly embrace the English measurement system is that you measure carefully and live long. And when converting from English to Metric and vice versa, do so very carefully. Instances wherein your life may hang in the balance abound.
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