If you aren't familiar with metre/meters and so on...

[Bad Thoughts]

It's funny that people keep blaming the "British Imperial System." Yes, it's the system of measurements that Americans (and a few others) use. However, almost all countries (or really, localities) had their own ways of interpreting space and weight that were founded on what people had at hand and how they experienced the world. The French and the Germans both had their versions of the foot, neither of which was 12 in. in the imperial system. More variety came with measuring area: usually, this was the amount of land a farmer could till in one day (journal or Morgen), which could be different sizes depending on how difficult the land was to till in the particular area. And it both those systems, the older units were replaced on the basis of government initiative, not because the people realized, gradually or suddenly, that decimalized measurements were more rational. Indeed, there's something very logical about having a 30-cm foot as a way for people to informally measure their world.

 

[Timo]

Metric really works for the modern society because nowadays we need to tie together various physical qualities. Just a couple of hundred years back, nobody but the crazy alchemists would have needed to combine the measurements of length, weight and temperature in any circumstances; today, it's something every kid is taught to do, and even if they don't necessarily apply it in everyday life much, something like one out of a thousand will grow up to use it professionally.

There's no great advantage to going decimal if all you ever measure is length; it's better to pile up doublings or halvings because that's what you will do at the work site anyway. And the actual size of your unit is irrelevant as well (plus there's no point in using the same unit for short and long distances). But if you think big or do elementary physics or practical engineering beyond the erecting of a barn, you not only need to go decimal, you need to choose your units wisely so that they will be cross-compatible. Metric is one way to do that.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[MacLeod]

And those differences are the reason for using a standard system around the world

Some of the times when it went wrong when two different system were used

The Mars Climate Observer
Air Canada 143 (aka The Gimli Glider)

In the former hundreds of millions were in effect wasted, as for the later fortunatly no lives were lost but the potnetial was there.

And doesn't the US congress already have the power to enforce adoption of the metric system?

Article 1 Section VIII of the US Constitution

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures

http://www.senate.gov/civics/constitution_item/constitution.htm

 

[Metryq]

And doesn't the US congress already have the power to enforce adoption of the metric system?

The US government do something that might help industry and commerce? Ha, ha, that's a good one.

No, they're only interested in telling us how to eat, how to think, what to name our sports teams—stuff of real import. You think they have something more important to worry about?

 

[MacLeod]

Now, Now don't be so cynical it's not just the US Government that engages in that type of behaviour. Politicans tend to look out for number one i.e. themselves.

Though I think in many countries the political system it's not as polarised as it is in the USA. And all the US government shut down of last year amount to a baby spitting their dummy out and throwing a temper tantrum because they didn't get everything they wanted.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Human error will exist either when working within a given measurement system or converting between them. And no plans will fall out of the sky if a grocer takes an order for half a pound of cherries in New York, while one in Cologne takes one for 250 g.

 

[MacLeod]

Human error will exist either when working within a given measurement system or converting between them. And no plans will fall out of the sky if a grocer takes an order for half a pound of cherries in New York, while one in Cologne takes one for 250 g.

True human error will always exist, but can't you minimise it buy using the same system?

In the case of the Mars Climate Observer if the contractor had ued the same system as NASA (metric) then the probe likely wouldn't have been lost.

In the case of Gimli Glider if the same sysem had been used for measuring the fuel (rather than trying to covert from one to another) it would kiley have had the correct amount of fuel

 

[LMFAOschwarz]

The US government do something that might help industry and commerce? Ha, ha, that's a good one.

No, they're only interested in telling us how to eat, how to think, what to name our sports teams—stuff of real import. You think they have something more important to worry about?

Now, Now don't be so cynical it's not just the US Government that engages in that type of behaviour. Politicans tend to look out for number one i.e. themselves.

Though I think in many countries the political system it's not as polarised as it is in the USA. And all the US government shut down of last year amount to a baby spitting their dummy out and throwing a temper tantrum because they didn't get everything they wanted.

You just about nailed it all, guys!

 

[Metryq]

The US government do something that might help industry and commerce? Ha, ha, that's a good one.

No, they're only interested in telling us how to eat, how to think, what to name our sports teams—stuff of real import. You think they have something more important to worry about?

Now, Now don't be so cynical it's not just the US Government that engages in that type of behaviour. Politicans tend to look out for number one i.e. themselves.

Though I think in many countries the political system it's not as polarised as it is in the USA. And all the US government shut down of last year amount to a baby spitting their dummy out and throwing a temper tantrum because they didn't get everything they wanted.

You just about nailed it all, guys!

Don't misunderstand me—I'm not blaming all our country's ailments on "da gubmint!" There's no "us/them." I firmly believe in "We The People," which means thinking for ourselves and staying alert. If we become polarized, it is because we allowed some snake oil salesman to sell us his demagoguery. "Iron fists, tin minds," as a friend was wont to say.

To stay on topic, I'll add: if they don't "measure" up—in Imperial units or SI—we should toss them out.

Then we'll get back to fighting about standards on our own. "I say Metric! Barkeep, pour me another pint!"

 

[LMFAOschwarz]

Maybe all this stuff is what Khan meant when he said 'We...offered...the world...ORDER!!"

In addition to the dizzying array already discussed, shall we get into map projections?

 

[MacLeod]

I supsect we couldn't even agree to disagree.

 

[Lance]

"I say Metric! Barkeep, pour me another pint!"

'Metryq' says 'Metric'.

Though I think in many countries the political system it's not as polarised as it is in the USA. And all the US government shut down of last year amount to a baby spitting their dummy out and throwing a temper tantrum because they didn't get everything they wanted.

I think today's governments on the whole are more polarized than ever before.

There was a time when I think the US government might've been able to implement this, but it would've been decades ago.

Battle lines in modern politics are more starkly drawn than ever, which means that the spirit of bipartisanship is effectively dead.

And I know from bitter experience that Australia's heathen 'interpretation' of the traditional Westminster system is completely and utterly broken. Due to various peculiarities with the system down here (compulsory voting resulting in widespread voter apathy, alongside a frankly bizarre method of calculating victory through preference deals between candidates which means that the guy who gets the majority of the primary vote is more than likely NOT going to win the seat thanks to various preferences flowing to lesser candidates and bumping them up "over the line") means that our Parliament is full of morons we didn't actually vote for, who have to struggle to get *anything* done because the other side will oppose them on everything as a matter of principal, rather than looking at the individual merits of things.

It's madness!

 

[HIjol]

"I say Metric! Barkeep, pour me another pint!"

'Metryq' says 'Metric'.

...ah, what the hell...Metryq?...Lance?...I'm buying for you and the thread...now...where'd that wal...ah, there it is...lessee...how many Euros...wait, Pounds?...no no...quid...shit, that's not it...hmmm...Barkeep?...do you take dollars here?

 

[Captain Rob]

So is the reason the JJPrise is so much bigger is due to a feet to meters error?

 

[Metryq]

So is the reason the JJPrise is so much bigger is due to a feet to meters error?

No, centons, as used in the original BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. The unit was used for time, distance and ran the entire scale from large to small.

 

[T'Girl]

Though I think in many countries the political system it's not as polarised as it is in the USA.

In America, the polarization of the political system is a reflection of the polarization of the general population.

America has accumulated a fair number of issues that can't be compromised on and that we as a people need to make basic "yes/no" "either/or" decisions on.

That so many of these issues seem to come down to a near perfect 50/50 split is part of the problem.

Example, one of the issues is whether to have government controlled immigration or open borders, the country can't have both and there's no consensus.

 

[Timewalker]

Seriously, 40 YEARS to learn how to multiply and divide by 10 and figure out where to put the decimals?

Yeah, because you know it's as simple as that.

We aren't talking about teaching one person how to use the metric system. We're talking about socially and professionally converting an entire culture (a very large culture, at that) away from a measurement system that has been ingrained into society for hundreds of years.

But as has been pointed out Australia did it, the UK did it. It just takes 2-3 decades for it work it's way through. It's not an overnight process. Size has nothing to do with it, and remember the Imperial system came from the UK surely it was just as ingrained in the UK yet the UK managed to adopt it (for most things)

For example you say set a date i.e. 31-12-2025 as the last date fruit and veg can be sold by the lb from the 01-01-2025 it has to be sold by the Kg. That gives buiness over a decade to introduce new scales or reprogram existing ones.

Exactly. Using population size as an excuse is a cop-out. I won't say it was politically painless in Canada; even now, the generation older than mine (I'm 51) still grumbles and blames Pierre Trudeau (the Prime Minister whose government introduced metric in the '70s, left politics in the '80s, and has been dead for many years).

There's no great advantage to going decimal if all you ever measure is length...

It's rather helpful to know if a number means centimetres or millimetres; there's quite a noticeable difference between the two.

 

[1001001]

I remember learning the metric system in school in the 70's. "Get ready America!"



We are way too stubborn for that. Besides, nowadays converting to the metric system would be seen as one more step toward World Gubment. "How many liters of fuel does a Black Helicopter need to get from it's secret base to your hometown?"



Seriously though I lived in Australia for a year, and didn't find it too difficult.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Though I think in many countries the political system it's not as polarised as it is in the USA.

In America, the polarization of the political system is a reflection of the polarization of the general population.

America has accumulated a fair number of issues that can't be compromised on and that we as a people need to make basic "yes/no" "either/or" decisions on.

That so many of these issues seem to come down to a near perfect 50/50 split is part of the problem.

Example, one of the issues is whether to have government controlled immigration or open borders, the country can't have both and there's no consensus.

I don't think the general population is as divided as it appears. Or, it's more like 20/60/20 than 50/50. Just, we have a system where the super-rich with vested interest in particular parties have a direct line of communication to people and manipulate facts with a false air of authority to make everybody really angry about everything.

And it's true decimal has no clear advantage over octal or hexadecimal, but having consistent orders of magnitude has a clear advantage over varied orders of magnitude. 12 inches to a foot, 3 feet to a yard, 6 feet to a fathom, 5280 feet to a mile. Having every order increase by the same factor would be superior to that. Just, there's no reason for it to be 10 rather than other numbers, except that most humans happen to possess 10 fingers.

 

[Robert Comsol]

No, centons, as used in the original BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. The unit was used for time, distance and ran the entire scale from large to small.

Not for time exclusively, "Yahren" stood for one or many years. Helped German audiences to watch the show in English, because "year" in German is "Jahr" (years = Jahre) and pronounced exactly as in BSG.

I also have little doubt that the Klingon "kellicams" (ST III:TSFS) convert nicely into "kilometers" but probably not into "kilograms"

Bob