Posted on 05/15/2006 10:41:02 AM PDT by Junior
I remember our teachers telling us in the 60s that the US was going to begin using nothing but the metric system very soon so we had better learn it. With the exception of two or three liter soda bottles, I've done fine without it.
see America ditch the standard system.
Sorry, ditches are a mile apart
I guess by biggest reaction to this is relief that we are prosperous and contented enough to have people organizing groups like this.
Having said that, it's probably true that everyone who needs to be fluent in the metric system (scientists, as you say, and also people trading internationally) is. And thus despite our having inherited them from the Brits, I think our measures make for a charming piece of American exceptionalism.
There's no excuse for this. In science the international system should be used for all measurements.
i've known Brent for a lot of years. he's a real hoot. a bit of a gadfly and folks just look upon him as a bit of an eccentric. he often wears a kilt.
he also has a heart of gold and will go the extra mile to help a friend and do the right thing.
can be annoying as hell tho, but what a guy!
As I pointed out above, I started using it regularly because of one of my hobbies -- I'm an amateur paleozoologist, and nearly all publications dealing in the subject use the International system for measurements.
The metric system would be better. The trick is to get people to have the same intuitive feel for metric measurements that they now have for the standard system. We're getting there, but it will take another generation or two.
Seems to me we used inches, feet, gallons, miles, etc to get to the moon in 1969.
I was trained as an engineer in the SI/Metric system. Newton Meters. Kilowatts. kcmils. I started to work as an engineer. I get foot-pounds, kips, horsepower, and AWG tables. Thanks a lot.
Ahem. The extra 1.6 km, you mean. ;-)
that's exactly what he would say - with that maniacal grin of his.
he used to run the annual christmas bonfire. he had a wonderful time running around getting things ready, etc. took him all year to amass enough wood to suit him. big pile. safety issues preculdes him from continuation, something we're all sorry for.
he never got anything extra for it, but he did so love making things work.
he tried an alcoholfree oktoberfest once. goe me hooked on bratwurst, but there were only a few people who attended.
I wouldn't mind IF we use the best most appropriate units for whatever it is you're measuring.
I'm sorry, but "cm" for people height just doesn't cut it. I don't want to say "one-hundred seventy-nine centimeters" when it could simply be "seventeen point nine decimeters".
And another thing - PLEASE let us never spell the English way - "Rs" switched with "Es". To wit, "centimetre" - BLAH!
I wonder what metric system he is going to use. His choice of centimeters doesn't seem to be in line with current usage. On the other hand he can go off any way he wants and it probably won't be noticed by most.
Well, my teachers were saying the same thing you are and I'm still waiting. Actually I am quite surprised the US hasn't converted to metric yet but I guess we are a stubborn lot.
Meters for Yards, Kilometers for Miles, Kilograms for Pounds.......next thing you know, it will be Esperanto for English.
This has to stop.
That's 0.6 decamembers.
I recall we were pretty much set to change in 76' or so and at the last minute couldn't pull the trigger. Canada I heard was a little miffed we balked as they had put everything in place and made the conversion. Since probably 90 or maybe even 95% of Americans can't tell you how long a mile is or how many square feet in an acre I'd say our system is just too difficult to remember to be worth the trouble. Doubt me? How many TBLS in a cup?gallon? About the only thing I have been sure of for a long time is the ton. 2000lbs and that is only because it is an easy number. Not like 128oz in a gal.
Yeah, that "metric" system is real standard:
but do you mean ISO metric, DIN metric, or JIS metric?
Where we've adopted the metric system in this country, it's been the ISO system, in which the fasteners, for example are generally incompatible with DIN (German) and JIS (Japanese) metric fasteners.
As an engineer and a scientist, I use the Imperial system exclusively, and whenever I need to convert, why, there's always a calculator handy.
Having to remember all the 64'ths is a bigger problem than metric conversion ever will be. If we went to decimal for everything instead of fractions we could convert a lot easier.
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