The metric system
 

Why can't America just switch already?

Man that would make things too easy

Math would be entirley to easy

I so wish the USA would

Simple reason, there are far too many stupid people that would have a mental melt down if we suddenly switched. Just watch what happens in Feb when analog TV is shut down. I can almost guarantee there are tens of thousands who not only haven't heard about this, but don't even know what analog means. They'll just know that they can't watch Judge Judy in their double wides.

True. Although, Canada survived the switch though, so I think we could too.

dc/dc,
What country is that flag from?

The biggest problem with the metric system is that the default units of measurement are not 'human scale'. The English system of units, while confusing as hell to convert between, were invented by craftsmen, sailors, bakers, etc. and all represent sizes that are easy for a human to relate to. For instance, I'm 6'4 (tall boy), which is 193 centimeters! Not easy to imagine 193 units easily, is it? Ok, let's go with the decimeter - which is 1/10 of a meter - now we can say I'm 19.3 decimeters tall... still not easy to reference unless you have a point of reference of similar size. Six feet, however, is easy to conceptualize, even if all you have is a foot-long ruler in front of you - it's easy to imagine six of them stacked end-to-end.

Same with temperature. Centigrade units are very large. 50 degrees Fahrenheit = 10 degrees centigrade, 55 degrees Fahrenheit = 12.7 degrees Centigrade... an increase by even two or three degrees Fahrenheit can be easily felt by a human, but the centigrade units are too large and not accurate enough do accurate describe changes in temperature in everyday conversation without resorting to decimal points.

I'm all for the idea of metric - easy conversions of units - I just think the units suck!

SpectreBlofeld, maybe you just need more practise. 1.93 metres is easy to visualise.

Well, you can look at it as 'just under two meters' I suppose. But there's a reason why we don't use the yard to describe human height, which is the closest english unit to the meter. It's just not precise enough for most human-scale situations.

In american football, on the other hand... :)

I'm sorry, but I disagree again. I know what 2 metres is. I know what 7cm is. Therefore I can easily know what 193cm is.

The reasons that we do not use yards for height and so on and so forth is as much steeped in tradition as logic.

Don't take my word for it, others have expressed the same: Metrication controversy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Some people will always complain, particularly when they are used to another system.
I grew up learning metric in school, and it annoys me that we still have to use miles in the UK as people aged 40+ have no clue what a KM is. To me, I know a km, I run them. I have no idea what a mile is, so by and large, I ignore distances on UK signs.

Pick a system, stick to it, and accept that you need to allow several decades for transition between if you have changed systems. Believe me, people who have schooled exclusively with metric units have no problem knowing how heavy a kilogram is, or how long 1.93 metres is, etc.

Take my grandma - still struggles with metric money. She grew up with Farthing · Halfpenny · Penny · Threepence · Sixpence · One shilling · Two shillings · Half crown · Crown · Guinea, etc. All of those have different bases. She can cross multiply ridiculous numbers in "old money" but struggles with 100p in the pound. She honestly thinks that it was "easier" when the pound was made up of 240 "old pence", with twelve old pence in a shilling and 20 shillings in a pound.

People accept all sorts of measurements because they are used to them, it is all just perception. Spend long enough using metric weights and measures, and it will no longer be an annoyance/confusion.

It is an iteration of the flag of Iraq.

My favorite part about chemistry courses was using parts of the metric system. So much easier for me to wrap my brain around - how could you go wrong with dividing something by 10 instead of say, 12? Then again, math has never been my area of expertise, either.

Yeah, because you can really tell the difference betwen 50 and 51 degrees F.

Seems that most of the rest of the world, and the entire scientific world has no problem with metric.

At least you know what the unit of measure is. Say I tell you you need 5 ounces of X. Am I talking about weight or volume? US or Imperial?

It takes time. I'm of the generation tht learned both in school. I can convert with ease. My kids only know Metric. They understand feet and pounds, but not the other usits quite as much. Telling my kids that it's 70 degrees outside won't have as much of an impact as telling them it's 21.

I do a lot of business in countries that use the metric system, I find it to be a much simpler system, and I hate the fact that we are basically the last country in the world to be using the Imperial system.

Oh yeah, we also need more roundabouts!

Yes, yes you do! Roundabouts are brilliant.


I hope you don't get them though. I love watching US drivers navigating roundabouts.
I love watching US drivers on most English roads, actually. There is always confusion why the roads are so "bendy" for no reason, but a lot of the infrastructure here dates back thousands of years (they were dirt roads pre-Roman times) - in those days, it was easier to go round the tree than move the tree and build a straight road.

amen to that. Just switch already.

As long as it's not like this one:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/conte...ut_470x350.jpg

I have no problem with how the metric system works. I just wish it used different units.

There are situations in which systems other than base-10 are more useful; that's why metric time never took off, for instance. Base 60 for time is much more practical on an everyday basis:

(from Sexagesimal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia )

Yes, there are two very close to me. One is at the entrance to my apartment complex, and the other is about 2 km away. You have no idea how many times I've almost been wrecked by idiots going through the roundabout incorrectly at my complex, who then get belligerent when you call them out. It pisses me off to no end. The other one is much bigger, so it isn't quite as bad, but it still happens.

Here's the one at my apartment:

dc/dc = red, idiots = blue

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/b...roundabout.jpg

Anyway that's a bit off-topic, but sort of on since my biggest frustration with the imperial system is on the roads. :) It makes so much more sense to say that an exit from the motorway is 500 m ahead instead of 1/3 mi.

Thank you.

I'm not arguing for a new system to tell time. I prefer the physical-based measurements of the metric system (if that's even the right term, I don't even know) such as meter, kilometer, kilogram, etc.

Wirelessly posted (wap! woop woop!)

SI units FTW

The science community in the Unites States has switched. Long ago. Now to tell those not familiar with the metric system our answers, we have these long convoluted lists of conversions. We even have these whacked out conversion calculators that have seemingly hundreds of buttons.

I completely agree. Just switch already. It's a far simpler system.

Plenty of roundabouts here in New England. Of course, here it's called a rotary. Being that our area is called "new" england, I can understand why we have so many. Just navigated two today in fact....

Anyway that's a bit off-topic, but sort of on since my biggest frustration with the imperial system is on the roads. It makes so much more sense to say that an exit from the motorway is 500 m ahead instead of 1/3 mi.

500 yards is close enough.

Metrification is quite easy for most every day things, 500g is as near as dammit to 1 pound, 1 kilo to 2 pounds, 1 yard is 1 metre, if you want to measure the length of something turn the ruler over and use the other scale. If the speed limit is 55kph read the numbers on the speedo. It's not a question of metric being easier to work out, it's more the case that with the modern English education system mental arithmetic has been thrown out with the bath water.

The metric system is the way to go. I'm in the Army and we use it for about everything. All of our distance measurements are done in meters and such. I wish also that we would switch to it.

All in favor, say 'I'.

It's easy to do when you just switch, rather than a gradual change.

I adjusted fine when I got to Iraq and Qatar.

I was deployed to Iraq in '07. Did combat patrols throughout fallujah, baghdad, ramadi, and others.. Spent a lot of time in BIAP.. went to Qatar for a 4 day pass. What part were you in bro? and you're right. It is a lot easier to do when you just switch.

Hung out at Joint Base Balad (aka LSA Anaconda, Balad Air Base) at the end of '07 and early '08 and have been to Qatar several times. My most recent time there was March '08, but I'll be headed there in a few weeks hopefully.

i would totally crash in that. lol

Cool man. Been to Anaconda. We might have been at the same FOB a few times. Hey, I got a bunch of Riyals from Qatar. Do you know what the current exchange rate is? Take it easy bro.

Usually it is around 3.65 QR/1 USD, today it is 3.64 according to xe.com.

I wouldn't trade QR though. It's a good currency to keep.

yeah.. dont change currency. the USD is doing really crappy right now. inflation will set in soon... itl just be a mess

Thanks for the update bud. Yeah, I wasn't going to trade it.. just curious as to the exchange rate. It is a pretty cool looking currency though.

Have you gotten to go jet skiing on the Persian Gulf yet? That's one of the things I did on my 4-day pass. It was in Feb, and cold as hell.. but still a blast.. the water is awesome looking.

I was in grade school in the early 70's when this was tried. I think it was a poorly thought out education plan. They would focus on conversion rather than just using the measurements. To this day I remember enough of those that I can do the conversions, but I have to convert. If someone's weight is 72kg, how much is that? I have no ingrained reference, I have to mentally convert.

They should have mandated common objects be in metric with a short phase in period. For food, just change the existing labels not the size of the cans. Have the double labeling, but remove the oz in 2 years or so. Instead, to this day, there is double labeling. People look at the measure they're familiar with. They don't look at the other for future reference.

The 2-liter bottle is one of the few things that made it.

These days, it's not such a big deal. No need to carry a specialzed conversion calculator or tables as long as you've got internet service.

No, but I'd like to... I'm usually too busy with work... :(

Last time I was there, I was too busy shopping and partying... LOL

I went to Qube, the club at the Ramada, one of the nights and it was effing WILD!

Lol ohh yeah.. partying there can get wild.. I dont remember much of the night we went out partying in Qatar.. I assume we had a blast lol.

Yeah, gotta be careful though for sure.

hahahhahaaha

I am happy to report that whilst I was away in SC, a sign was added at the entrance to the complex, and according to the manager it is working!

Yup, they tried this throughout the 70s and it was a miserable failure.

Roundabouts are far more easy once you get the drill down. So too is the metric system in general.

wanna hear something funny? even though we use the "metric" system, i still tell people i'm 5'7.5". (yes i'm not a short girl), and i have abso NO idea what that is in cm!

Although i can't figure out the Oz and what not. even though in my cookbooks they've explained it so well.

They are, but apparently not everyone is so good at reading signs because I had to yell a dillweed on Friday that went the wrong way.

The sad part is that we (in the US) have forgotten how to read!

Do they not mark proficiency on roundabouts as part of the standard US driving test?

In a word, No. Most parts of this country do not have any roundabouts.

True, although they are adding them in Northern VA (DC area). Unfortunately, these dummies keep stopping at the yield sign.

I hate when people stop in the middle of a roundabout because they have no ****ing clue what they are doing. JUST KEEP GOING AROUND THE CIRCLE (until you find your appropriate exit)!!!

And don't stop whilst entering.

And if, in the rare event that you are cut off and can't exit the roundabout, just go around again.

Yep.

Here's one of the new roundabouts on US15, South of Leesburg.

They're becoming more common in the suburbs here, but djm2 is right about lack of education. Most places still have no roundabouts, so few Americans can drive them without confusion and effort. And we all know what happens when an endeavor requires effort: shortcuts will follow, be they safe/legal or not.

I'm sure one could amuse himself for a solid length of time by observing drivers attempting to navigate an average American roundabout.

I think one day I will take a cooler of beer, my lawn chair, and sit in the middle of the roundabout to "educate" the idiots coming into and out of my complex. LOL