Send a guerilla squad to the UK. We need it. The anti-metrics go round smashing metric road signs and don't even get prosecuted for it. The UK Metric Association are too polite to respond in kind. Everywhere we have road signs that say "m" but don't mean metres. They need to be smashed. Our greengrocers work in lb even though they can be prossecuted for it. Our garbage industry uses cubic yards. Our office space is sold by the square foot and our tyres are inflated in psi (whatever that stands for). Send us your thugs and let's fight fire with fire.
I'm French and I'm looking on the internet to see the relationship the English-speaking world has with the metric system, how metric these countries are, what people think about it, what arguments they use to refuse it. I found some anti-metric arguments amasing but, if the metric debate turns into a "civil war", that will be really funny (at least until the first dead)
Hi, French Anonymus,
You may get some funny answers...
Read: "How to Measure Cultural Differences in Metric Units",
and "Al-Gebra and Illuminati Links Discovered". www.ezinearticles.com.
It almost goes without saying that I support U.S. changeover to the metric system of measurement, and have held that opinion for 33 years. While I certainly endorse efforts to bring the metric system to the attention of the U.S. public, I urge you, and all those who participate here, to use methods that are educational, but not disruptive. We need to convince industry and consumers that the metric system is a superior system of measurement,but at the same time, we face the condition that I have dubbed "metrophobia," or fear of measurement system change. Historically, there has been a huge amount of antipathy towards metric in the U.S., and in some quarters, it runs very deep, and can lead to backlash. To use a prank to impose metric usage without metric education may possibly be counterproductive, and set the clock back on our work even farther.
I feel your zeal for the goal when I read this home page--I, too, am itching to see our country go metric at long last---but I just wanted to share with you my conviction that, while it is good to be dramatic, one should also be understanding.
SI-ncerely,
Paul Trusten, R.Ph.
Public Relations Director
U.S. Metric Association, Inc. www.metric.org
Having been brought up with and worked with both systems, my conclusion is that both have their place.
Metric is good for scientific work, although in medical use there are potentially fatal risks due to the use of the decimal point.
But for macro sized household objects, the units tend to be either too small or too large for convenience. The fact that 10 has only two factors is a genuine nuisance in many situations. The Imperial system has evolved over a long period in accordance with the requirements of people, trades and crafts. The units are of a convenient size so that units can be used in small whole numbers, halves and quarters. The metric system tends to break down in this way and ends up in practice with nonsenses like 1-and-a-half-kilos instead of 1.5 kilos or 1500 grammes.
Even a simple thing like a set of weights is awkward in metric. An imperial set consists of 4oz, 8oz, 1lb and 2lb, which stack into a neat cone. Try stacking 100gm, 200gm, 200gm, 500gm and 1kilo.
The other problem with metric is spurious accuracy, like rooms in buildings being dimensioned to the nearest millimetre when in fact constructional tolerances are to the nearest 5mm.
When the metric system was devised, nobody considered the requirements of ordinary users like householders and tradesmen.
It is not something to be rushed into.
The cost of the change is substantial. And who gains?
I respect your point of view. We agree to disagree. But let me point out a few of your ideas:
"Metric is good for scientific work, although in medical use there are potentially fatal risks due to the use of the decimal point."
Yes for scientific work everything is in metric: at the atomic level will we use fractions of inches? Not really.
"But for macro sized household objects, the units tend to be either too small or too large for convenience. "
Have you ever been in an Ikea store? Ikea is the largest furniture store in the world. Ikea is Swedish, i.e. European. Every single piece of furniture sold in their stores are designed and built in Metric. Same for Italian luxury furniture. Same for the Airbus 380 (largest airplaine in the World). Same for the Queen Mary II (largest cruiseship in the World). Same for EVERY Olympic stadium built outside of the United States. Same for every gigangtic construction built around the World: the Petronas Twin Towers in KualaLumpur, The Burj Al Dubai, Honk Kong Airport, The Chunnel linking France to Britain, etc. If you have an "American perspective" on things, you will find it logical to say that a stool sold at Ikea is 3feet and 4inches tall. To the rest of the world it's 1 meter (or very precisely 1000 mm). It's just a question of getting used to it.
"The fact that 10 has only two factors is a genuine nuisance in many situations."
Number 10 can be devided in an infinity of numbers. Any mathematician will tell you that. 10/80= 0.0125 (No need for a calculator.)
"The other problem with metric is spurious accuracy, like rooms in buildings being dimensioned to the nearest millimetre when in fact constructional tolerances are to the nearest 5mm."
Does anyone build houses or skyscrapers within an 1/8 of an inch accuracy? I don't think so. And beleive me, no one builds houses or skyscrapers with a 5mm accuracy (let alone 1mm!!)
"The units are of a convenient size so that units can be used in small whole numbers, halves and quarters."
When you take medication, is it in Imperial or Metric? What is more convinient when you take Aspirin? Do the French and Italians, whose cuisine is loved all over the world, use "tablespoons" to cook their dish? No. Yet, they eat!
"When the metric system was devised, nobody considered the requirements of ordinary users like householders and tradesmen."
10 CENTS = 1 DIME and 10 DIMES = 1 DOLLAR
10 CENTIMETERS = 1 DECIMETER and 10 DECIMETERS = 1 METER
If householders and tradesmen cannot understand this, we are in trouble. And for all the nerds and geeks out there:
1000 bytes = 1 kilobyte
1000 meters = 1 kilometer
It's easier than rocket science.
We should stop finding excuses. 60 years ago, America was the World leader in everything. But as other countries emerge (1.3 billion Chinese, 1.1 billion Indians, 450 million Europeans, 145 millions Russians, 120 millions Japanese,50 million South Koreans) its scientific edge is being lost by the day. We cannot afford sticking with Burma and Liberia.
95% of the Human Race uses the Metric System. I cannot understand why the 5 % left still beleive that kilos are hard to understand. Could it be narrowmindness?
"95% of the Human Race uses the Metric System. I cannot understand why the 5 % left still beleive that kilos are hard to understand. Could it be narrowmindness?"
95% of the Human Race use the Metric System. 5% prefer to use the units they grew up with and are used to. I cannot understand why the 95% insist that everyone must use exactly the same units as them rather than tolerating difference. Could it be narrow mindedness?
Actually the 95 % of the world that uses the metric system don't care about the 5 % that doesn't and doesn't bother to push them. In fact they are glad that countries like the US don't use the metric system. It gives them an economic advantage. The push is coming from among the 5 % that doesn't.
Since Ronald Reagen disbanded the US metric board and opened the door for American business to go elsewhere to have their metric products made, millions of good paying industrial jobs have left the US. Those who work primarily do so in low wage, no benefit service jobs that make it impossible for the average American family to live the middle class dream.
No industry is going to force you to learn or use metric. They will just go elsewhere to find workers who can work and prosper them. The result will be an America that will continue to get poorer and poorer.
We can see that the present economic downturn is hurting the US the most and if there ever is a real recovery you will see that it won't be in industrial jobs as industrial jobs once gone are gone for good. Unless of course there is a change to the metric system. Then the world will buy American goods. Until that happens the silent boycott will continue and America will continue to purchase the world's metric manufactured goods.
So yes America, keep using those out of date measurements that you are comfortable with. Your loss will continue to be everyone Else's gain.
The fact that we have ten fingers is an absurd argument in favour of metrication.
Hands and feet with ten digits arose through evolution and natural selection about 400 million years ago with the first creatures to crawled out of the sea onto the land. The late Steven Jay Gould explored the subject in a book called "Eight little piggies". To enslave ourselves to a counting system based on this circumstance seems perverse.
In fact, of course, we do not. Computers run on binary, octal or hexadecimal counting systems. And weights and measures systems were likewise adapted to suit the practical needs of the users.
Then came the French revolution and people wanted to turn the world upside down, and so the Emperor's scientists (those who had not yet had their heads chopped off), came up with the metric system.
This has proved particularly good for certain applications such as engineering and science. And where goods frequently cross national borders, it has also made sense to standardise on one set of weights and measures.
But for household use it is less so, mainly because 10 has only two divisors and the initial choice of units was not made with reference to people's requirements but came out of a grand project of measuring the earth (and getting it wrong!).
Oh, how many excuses can you think of to rationalise your inability to embrace change?
The fact we have 10 fingers means that we have divised a counting system in base 10. So everyone understands base 10 numbers. That's the significance.
Computers work in base 2 because they have only 2 states - on and off - equivalent to two fingers. But when we want the numbers out of the computer we get it to conver them to base 10 so we can understand them.
For the household, metric is very, very much better than the obsolete American and English system. This is not just because it uses base 10, but because it uses a single unit for each measurement - metres measure lenght; litres volume; grams weight. The scaling factors kilo, centi, Mega etc. are simply base 10 multiples of these units, so because they are base 10 they can be considered to be the same unit, just scaled.
Let me use an example. You want to compare the weights of 5 things: an egg; a potato; a person; an elephant; a truck. In English and American units you weigh as follows:
egg in ounces; potato in pounds; person in pounds (stones and pounds in English); elephant in cwt (different number in English and American); truck in tons (long tons in England, short tons in America). Now tell me how the weight of the truck compares to the weight of the potato. You can't because the units all have different conversion factors between them, and you have to do lots of conversions.
Now do it in metric: Weigh them all in grams, or multiples of grams. It's easy to see the relationships, because the multiples are all base 10.
Just change for goodness sake. Then you will not only understand the natural world better, you might also be able to understand the rest of the population of the world. It's not a French revolution thing any more - the whole world uses this measurement system. America needs to get on board.
I am not in the US, I am in the UK. And I have been using the metric system since before I was ten years old. It is perfectly ok for scientific and engineering applications.
But what you are saying is theory. People don't normally want to compare the weight of a truck to the weight of a potato. But they want their weights to be small whole numbers. 1000kg is a good unit for a vehicle. Kg are OK for potatoes, as it happens. But the next unit down from a kilo is a gramme, which is too small for household use, apart from things like herbs and spices. In mainland Europe they often use a Hecto for things like butter and cheese but we are not allowed to.
And litres is a bit odd too, because there is the cubic centimetre which seems to have fallen into disuse, though it was related to the gram and the density of water.
The whole problem with the metric system is that it was designed by and is promoted by theoreticians.
Henry on Thu, 10/04/2007 - 18:02 wrote here: "But the next unit down from a kilo is a gramme". I am afraid that it is not correct statement - Actually there in SI the next unit down from kilogram is decagram and not gram as Henry thinks. - for example 1 decagram is 10 grams, 10 decagrams is 100 grams, 1 kilogram is 100 decagrams or 1000 grams ..... I think it is very practical so you have one more choice between gram and kilogram ....also in leghts 1 metre is 1000 milimetre, 1 metre is also 10 decimetre or 100 centimetre. IMHO metric conversions are perfectly clear even for those who are not scientists ... for more examples of useful SI prefixes and conversions look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SI_prefix
IMHO there is so much prejudice against metric system. Why so many here think that America will collapse as result of metrication when the rest of world is already using metric system and thriving? Actually besides the US only Burma and Liberia do not use metric system ... look at CIA website about that https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/appendix/app...
... and forgive me that I use "gram" instead of "gramme", I think both is correct. English is not my native language.
People resist change - it's as simple as that. People will find a way to substantiate a fear of the dark, or a fear of open spaces. Old people in England will ALWAYS want to weigh in STONES, not pounds. AMericans will ALWAYS want to measure in POUNDS, and not kg.
I do, however, find it VERY ironic - that Americans think the rest of the world** is stupid (using Metric), whilst they keep measuring in the KING'S units (Imperial). Now, this irony even goes a step farther: the country that embraces SCIENCE - still not only uses the measuring system of the King they fought a *war* to rid themselves of (heck, they even changed the side of the carriage from the Right side ... to the LEFT - to have NOTHING to do with the King!) - but they REFUSE to abandon that King's measuring system to this day!!
THAT is funny. By the way, do you know why a 19" television is NOT 19"?? I's because it was designed and produced using METRIC: 50cm screen (or a 45cm screen) is sold in the USA as 19".
Sure - go ahead and rot in a world that will have to use a calculator to figure out:
The aircraft is at 35,000 feet. How many miles is that??
Ask that same question in metric: 10,000 meters. how many km is that? 10
Same with air pressure:
We say 15 psi. What I psi?? Well, in metric, you know that 1 bar is one ATMOSPHERE of pressure. So, if you double the pressure that you can FEEL, then it's 2 bar (2 kg/cm -or- 200 kPa). Easy, isn't it??
How many feet are in 5 miles? QUICK!!!
$1,000 bucks says it took you more than 2 seconds to answer.
QUICK, how many ounces (or pounds) does 261 cubic inches of water weigh? QUICK!!!
Time's UP!!!
Now... how many meters are in 5 km? In less than a second, you can answer "5,000". How many cm? Indeed, 500,000. What the heck - let's do mm ... 5,000,000. I know, I know - mm is only used for woodworking, machining and medical.
Let me ask you this way instead:
You have a 3/4 wrench. What is the next size up? QUICK!
You have a 11/32 socket. What is the next size down? QUICK!
(now, I know you wouldn't need to know this if all your wrenches were neatly stored in your job box - you just choose the next size)
If it was Metric, and I'd asked you:
You have a 12mm wrench. What is the next size up? You would have QUICKLY said "13".
You have an 8mm socket. What is the next size down? You would have QUICKLY said "7".
How many cc of water is in 1 kg? (Yes - volume and weight DO intertwine in the Metric system!) the answer is 1,000. Based on water, the metric system dictates:
There are 1,000 cc in 1 liter (1,000 ml), and that liter (of water) weighs 1,000 g (1 kg)
Similarly, 300 cc weighs 300 g, and takes up the space of 300 ml.
Still saying "I HATE METRIC!"?? then I have news for you:
That tire you bought for your car? The FIRST number is METRIC. 195/70R14 means 195cm (70%, 14")
Did I say that loudly enough? CENTIMETER
OK, enough. but here are just a few of everyday things are measured in METRIC - already - in the USA:
Camera lenses, binoculars, and telescopes — eyepiece, lens diameter: mm; focal length: mm
Eyeglass lenses and frames — all dimensions: mm
Camcorder video tapes – 8 mm
Photographic film — 35 mm
Wine – mL
Track and field events — distances: KILOMETERS
Bicycles — frame height: CM, all bolts and fasteners: MM
Motorcycles — CC
HAM and Shortwave radio frequencies – METERS
Jewelry — dimensions: mm
Wrist watches — water resistant depth: METERS
Aspirin and ALL prescriptions – mg (MILLIGRAMS)
Food content – mg
The dimensions of NiCad, NiMH, Alkaline and Lithium batteries are measured in millimeters.
Oh, and let's not forget the biggest one: The big, baaaaaad US MILITARY is completely Metric. Go ahead - check it out - ask any Service person.
Finally, look up the US definition of "Calorie" - you'll find that it's: "The quantity of thermal energy required to raise one gram of water 1°C at 15°C." That's GRAMS and Celsius.
Again. THE USA ALREADY USES METRIC, but people won't change until it is "forced". Let's do it!
** OK, not ALL the world: Myanmar and Liberia [ad the USA] still use the King's system.
I find it somewhat interesting that the only two countries where strong anti-metric feelings exist are in the US and UK. Everywhere else the metric system is accepted as normal with no attempts to cling to or justify the use of non-SI units.
I also find it interesting that both of these countries (since the drive towards full metrication began in the mid-1970s in the English speaking world) have experienced the greatest loss of industrial jobs in the world since that time. The US is presently the largest debtor nation and the UK is still deep in recession. The US is too, but they refuse to admit it.
It would seem that the rest of the world has chosen to use the units of measure that will bring them prosperity, now and in the future, while the US and UK will continue to find excuses to continue to use their out of date units. I wonder how many Americans and British will have to go to bed hungry or homeless before the hard truth sets in......no metric no jobs.
Everybody, sign this petition to show your activism! If we aren't active, we may never change. And make sure to email Obama about why we should switch to the metric system.
We shouldn't only switch to the metric system. A meter is a measuring instrument; a metre should be the unit of length (also liter to litre, deka- to deca-, etc.) because international communication is one of the main benefits of the SI. Different spellings of, say, humor/humour are fine because those are not meant to be used with an international system.
I am and was a supporter of the metric system ever since I was introduced to the metric system in elementary school. The exposure was only for a couple of weeks, then on to the imperial system without any further review of metric.
* Since metrication has become stagnant, why not focus our efforts into teaching metric only in elementary school and introducing imperial systems and fractions in middle school years. This would change our countries familiarity with metric to knowing metric. I also think this would give us future allies in metrication of America.
* So goes California, so goes the United States. If all metrication organizations focused their efforts one state at a time starting with California, other states could be converted later
* After signifcant progress has ben made, state ID and drivers license should record hight and weight in metric. This would allow older Americans to become familiar again with metric
* Require Medicare and Medical to accept only claims submitted in metric to be reimbursed. This would encourage private sectors to begin using the metric system.
* Other ideas could be added along with a plan of overal conversion.
Firstly I declare that I'm not from the US but Australia and read with interest this web site and comments. I'm an electrical engineer and continued interest in science.
Australia first started metric conversion in 1971 and probably finished by 1985. It was a long process and reminants of the old measuring systems still exist today (2011), for example, baby weights are discussed in pounds,,, simply because its a point of comparison for the older generations. I'm now 42 and was schooled in the late 1970's and 1980's, and I know nothing other than the metric system, yet my brother, 8 years older than I, completed at least some his schooling under the old old system. He then went into the domestic building trade (very tradiational by nature) and used feet/inch's a great deal.... only slowly was that stamped out.
So I can appreciate some of the relucance and pain, metric conversion of the US ecomony would entail.... I'd suggest it may take one or two generations to remove once started.
I've not seen mention of NASA's failed mission to Mars. The "Mars Climate Orbiter (formerly the Mars Surveyor '98 Orbiter)" where NASA's own investigation found its failure was due to inconsistant measuring systems. "The primary cause of this discrepancy was human error. Specifically, the flight system software on the Mars Climate Orbiter was written to calculate thruster performance using the metric unit Newtons (N), while the ground crew was entering course correction and thruster data using the Imperial measure Pound-force (lbf). " I grabbed this from Wikipedia and its has referrences to NASA's own web site/reports.
So I wish you well and unfortunately a long journy in your mission to convert the US ecomony to the SI metric system. It may be an issue discussed/dealt with for the next 100 years.
Comments
Guerilla Squad
Send a guerilla squad to the UK. We need it. The anti-metrics go round smashing metric road signs and don't even get prosecuted for it. The UK Metric Association are too polite to respond in kind. Everywhere we have road signs that say "m" but don't mean metres. They need to be smashed. Our greengrocers work in lb even though they can be prossecuted for it. Our garbage industry uses cubic yards. Our office space is sold by the square foot and our tyres are inflated in psi (whatever that stands for). Send us your thugs and let's fight fire with fire.
Re : Guerilla Squad
I'm French and I'm looking on the internet to see the relationship the English-speaking world has with the metric system, how metric these countries are, what people think about it, what arguments they use to refuse it. I found some anti-metric arguments amasing but, if the metric debate turns into a "civil war", that will be really funny (at least until the first dead)
Re : Guerilla Squad
Hi, French Anonymus,
You may get some funny answers...
Read: "How to Measure Cultural Differences in Metric Units",
and "Al-Gebra and Illuminati Links Discovered". www.ezinearticles.com.
Greengrocers' resistance
Why do these measurements persist? Could it be because that is what customers prefer?
If there is to be guerilla action against greengrocers, it would be more usefully applied in defence of the misused apostrophe.
metric awareness in the U.S.
Dear Metrication.us Staff,
It almost goes without saying that I support U.S. changeover to the metric system of measurement, and have held that opinion for 33 years. While I certainly endorse efforts to bring the metric system to the attention of the U.S. public, I urge you, and all those who participate here, to use methods that are educational, but not disruptive. We need to convince industry and consumers that the metric system is a superior system of measurement,but at the same time, we face the condition that I have dubbed "metrophobia," or fear of measurement system change. Historically, there has been a huge amount of antipathy towards metric in the U.S., and in some quarters, it runs very deep, and can lead to backlash. To use a prank to impose metric usage without metric education may possibly be counterproductive, and set the clock back on our work even farther.
I feel your zeal for the goal when I read this home page--I, too, am itching to see our country go metric at long last---but I just wanted to share with you my conviction that, while it is good to be dramatic, one should also be understanding.
SI-ncerely,
Paul Trusten, R.Ph.
Public Relations Director
U.S. Metric Association, Inc.
www.metric.org
Don't rush into it
Having been brought up with and worked with both systems, my conclusion is that both have their place.
Metric is good for scientific work, although in medical use there are potentially fatal risks due to the use of the decimal point.
But for macro sized household objects, the units tend to be either too small or too large for convenience. The fact that 10 has only two factors is a genuine nuisance in many situations. The Imperial system has evolved over a long period in accordance with the requirements of people, trades and crafts. The units are of a convenient size so that units can be used in small whole numbers, halves and quarters. The metric system tends to break down in this way and ends up in practice with nonsenses like 1-and-a-half-kilos instead of 1.5 kilos or 1500 grammes.
Even a simple thing like a set of weights is awkward in metric. An imperial set consists of 4oz, 8oz, 1lb and 2lb, which stack into a neat cone. Try stacking 100gm, 200gm, 200gm, 500gm and 1kilo.
The other problem with metric is spurious accuracy, like rooms in buildings being dimensioned to the nearest millimetre when in fact constructional tolerances are to the nearest 5mm.
When the metric system was devised, nobody considered the requirements of ordinary users like householders and tradesmen.
It is not something to be rushed into.
The cost of the change is substantial. And who gains?
Dear Sir, I respect your
Dear Sir,
I respect your point of view. We agree to disagree. But let me point out a few of your ideas:
"Metric is good for scientific work, although in medical use there are potentially fatal risks due to the use of the decimal point."
Yes for scientific work everything is in metric: at the atomic level will we use fractions of inches? Not really.
"But for macro sized household objects, the units tend to be either too small or too large for convenience. "
Have you ever been in an Ikea store? Ikea is the largest furniture store in the world. Ikea is Swedish, i.e. European. Every single piece of furniture sold in their stores are designed and built in Metric. Same for Italian luxury furniture. Same for the Airbus 380 (largest airplaine in the World). Same for the Queen Mary II (largest cruiseship in the World). Same for EVERY Olympic stadium built outside of the United States. Same for every gigangtic construction built around the World: the Petronas Twin Towers in KualaLumpur, The Burj Al Dubai, Honk Kong Airport, The Chunnel linking France to Britain, etc. If you have an "American perspective" on things, you will find it logical to say that a stool sold at Ikea is 3feet and 4inches tall. To the rest of the world it's 1 meter (or very precisely 1000 mm). It's just a question of getting used to it.
"The fact that 10 has only two factors is a genuine nuisance in many situations."
Number 10 can be devided in an infinity of numbers. Any mathematician will tell you that. 10/80= 0.0125 (No need for a calculator.)
"The other problem with metric is spurious accuracy, like rooms in buildings being dimensioned to the nearest millimetre when in fact constructional tolerances are to the nearest 5mm."
Does anyone build houses or skyscrapers within an 1/8 of an inch accuracy? I don't think so. And beleive me, no one builds houses or skyscrapers with a 5mm accuracy (let alone 1mm!!)
"The units are of a convenient size so that units can be used in small whole numbers, halves and quarters."
When you take medication, is it in Imperial or Metric? What is more convinient when you take Aspirin? Do the French and Italians, whose cuisine is loved all over the world, use "tablespoons" to cook their dish? No. Yet, they eat!
"When the metric system was devised, nobody considered the requirements of ordinary users like householders and tradesmen."
10 CENTS = 1 DIME and 10 DIMES = 1 DOLLAR
10 CENTIMETERS = 1 DECIMETER and 10 DECIMETERS = 1 METER
If householders and tradesmen cannot understand this, we are in trouble. And for all the nerds and geeks out there:
1000 bytes = 1 kilobyte
1000 meters = 1 kilometer
It's easier than rocket science.
We should stop finding excuses. 60 years ago, America was the World leader in everything. But as other countries emerge (1.3 billion Chinese, 1.1 billion Indians, 450 million Europeans, 145 millions Russians, 120 millions Japanese,50 million South Koreans) its scientific edge is being lost by the day. We cannot afford sticking with Burma and Liberia.
95% of the Human Race uses the Metric System. I cannot understand why the 5 % left still beleive that kilos are hard to understand. Could it be narrowmindness?
"95% of the Human Race uses
"95% of the Human Race uses the Metric System. I cannot understand why the 5 % left still beleive that kilos are hard to understand. Could it be narrowmindness?"
95% of the Human Race use the Metric System. 5% prefer to use the units they grew up with and are used to. I cannot understand why the 95% insist that everyone must use exactly the same units as them rather than tolerating difference. Could it be narrow mindedness?
In response to THE SECRET
In response to THE SECRET PERSON - 2008-07-24
Actually the 95 % of the world that uses the metric system don't care about the 5 % that doesn't and doesn't bother to push them. In fact they are glad that countries like the US don't use the metric system. It gives them an economic advantage. The push is coming from among the 5 % that doesn't.
Since Ronald Reagen disbanded the US metric board and opened the door for American business to go elsewhere to have their metric products made, millions of good paying industrial jobs have left the US. Those who work primarily do so in low wage, no benefit service jobs that make it impossible for the average American family to live the middle class dream.
No industry is going to force you to learn or use metric. They will just go elsewhere to find workers who can work and prosper them. The result will be an America that will continue to get poorer and poorer.
We can see that the present economic downturn is hurting the US the most and if there ever is a real recovery you will see that it won't be in industrial jobs as industrial jobs once gone are gone for good. Unless of course there is a change to the metric system. Then the world will buy American goods. Until that happens the silent boycott will continue and America will continue to purchase the world's metric manufactured goods.
So yes America, keep using those out of date measurements that you are comfortable with. Your loss will continue to be everyone Else's gain.
Ten fingers
The fact that we have ten fingers is an absurd argument in favour of metrication.
Hands and feet with ten digits arose through evolution and natural selection about 400 million years ago with the first creatures to crawled out of the sea onto the land. The late Steven Jay Gould explored the subject in a book called "Eight little piggies". To enslave ourselves to a counting system based on this circumstance seems perverse.
In fact, of course, we do not. Computers run on binary, octal or hexadecimal counting systems. And weights and measures systems were likewise adapted to suit the practical needs of the users.
Then came the French revolution and people wanted to turn the world upside down, and so the Emperor's scientists (those who had not yet had their heads chopped off), came up with the metric system.
This has proved particularly good for certain applications such as engineering and science. And where goods frequently cross national borders, it has also made sense to standardise on one set of weights and measures.
But for household use it is less so, mainly because 10 has only two divisors and the initial choice of units was not made with reference to people's requirements but came out of a grand project of measuring the earth (and getting it wrong!).
Excuses
Oh, how many excuses can you think of to rationalise your inability to embrace change?
The fact we have 10 fingers means that we have divised a counting system in base 10. So everyone understands base 10 numbers. That's the significance.
Computers work in base 2 because they have only 2 states - on and off - equivalent to two fingers. But when we want the numbers out of the computer we get it to conver them to base 10 so we can understand them.
For the household, metric is very, very much better than the obsolete American and English system. This is not just because it uses base 10, but because it uses a single unit for each measurement - metres measure lenght; litres volume; grams weight. The scaling factors kilo, centi, Mega etc. are simply base 10 multiples of these units, so because they are base 10 they can be considered to be the same unit, just scaled.
Let me use an example. You want to compare the weights of 5 things: an egg; a potato; a person; an elephant; a truck. In English and American units you weigh as follows:
egg in ounces; potato in pounds; person in pounds (stones and pounds in English); elephant in cwt (different number in English and American); truck in tons (long tons in England, short tons in America). Now tell me how the weight of the truck compares to the weight of the potato. You can't because the units all have different conversion factors between them, and you have to do lots of conversions.
Now do it in metric: Weigh them all in grams, or multiples of grams. It's easy to see the relationships, because the multiples are all base 10.
Just change for goodness sake. Then you will not only understand the natural world better, you might also be able to understand the rest of the population of the world. It's not a French revolution thing any more - the whole world uses this measurement system. America needs to get on board.
Embracing change
I am not in the US, I am in the UK. And I have been using the metric system since before I was ten years old. It is perfectly ok for scientific and engineering applications.
But what you are saying is theory. People don't normally want to compare the weight of a truck to the weight of a potato. But they want their weights to be small whole numbers. 1000kg is a good unit for a vehicle. Kg are OK for potatoes, as it happens. But the next unit down from a kilo is a gramme, which is too small for household use, apart from things like herbs and spices. In mainland Europe they often use a Hecto for things like butter and cheese but we are not allowed to.
And litres is a bit odd too, because there is the cubic centimetre which seems to have fallen into disuse, though it was related to the gram and the density of water.
The whole problem with the metric system is that it was designed by and is promoted by theoreticians.
"But the next unit down from a kilo is a gramme"
Henry on Thu, 10/04/2007 - 18:02 wrote here: "But the next unit down from a kilo is a gramme". I am afraid that it is not correct statement - Actually there in SI the next unit down from kilogram is decagram and not gram as Henry thinks. - for example 1 decagram is 10 grams, 10 decagrams is 100 grams, 1 kilogram is 100 decagrams or 1000 grams ..... I think it is very practical so you have one more choice between gram and kilogram ....also in leghts 1 metre is 1000 milimetre, 1 metre is also 10 decimetre or 100 centimetre. IMHO metric conversions are perfectly clear even for those who are not scientists ... for more examples of useful SI prefixes and conversions look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SI_prefix
IMHO there is so much prejudice against metric system. Why so many here think that America will collapse as result of metrication when the rest of world is already using metric system and thriving? Actually besides the US only Burma and Liberia do not use metric system ... look at CIA website about that https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/appendix/app...
... and forgive me that I use "gram" instead of "gramme", I think both is correct. English is not my native language.
Nice n site
Hello, Your site is great.
Change to SI (Metric), and change NOW
People resist change - it's as simple as that. People will find a way to substantiate a fear of the dark, or a fear of open spaces. Old people in England will ALWAYS want to weigh in STONES, not pounds. AMericans will ALWAYS want to measure in POUNDS, and not kg.
I do, however, find it VERY ironic - that Americans think the rest of the world** is stupid (using Metric), whilst they keep measuring in the KING'S units (Imperial). Now, this irony even goes a step farther: the country that embraces SCIENCE - still not only uses the measuring system of the King they fought a *war* to rid themselves of (heck, they even changed the side of the carriage from the Right side ... to the LEFT - to have NOTHING to do with the King!) - but they REFUSE to abandon that King's measuring system to this day!!
THAT is funny. By the way, do you know why a 19" television is NOT 19"?? I's because it was designed and produced using METRIC: 50cm screen (or a 45cm screen) is sold in the USA as 19".
Sure - go ahead and rot in a world that will have to use a calculator to figure out:
The aircraft is at 35,000 feet. How many miles is that??
Ask that same question in metric: 10,000 meters. how many km is that? 10
Same with air pressure:
We say 15 psi. What I psi?? Well, in metric, you know that 1 bar is one ATMOSPHERE of pressure. So, if you double the pressure that you can FEEL, then it's 2 bar (2 kg/cm -or- 200 kPa). Easy, isn't it??
How many feet are in 5 miles? QUICK!!!
$1,000 bucks says it took you more than 2 seconds to answer.
QUICK, how many ounces (or pounds) does 261 cubic inches of water weigh? QUICK!!!
Time's UP!!!
Now... how many meters are in 5 km? In less than a second, you can answer "5,000". How many cm? Indeed, 500,000. What the heck - let's do mm ... 5,000,000. I know, I know - mm is only used for woodworking, machining and medical.
Let me ask you this way instead:
You have a 3/4 wrench. What is the next size up? QUICK!
You have a 11/32 socket. What is the next size down? QUICK!
(now, I know you wouldn't need to know this if all your wrenches were neatly stored in your job box - you just choose the next size)
If it was Metric, and I'd asked you:
You have a 12mm wrench. What is the next size up? You would have QUICKLY said "13".
You have an 8mm socket. What is the next size down? You would have QUICKLY said "7".
How many cc of water is in 1 kg? (Yes - volume and weight DO intertwine in the Metric system!) the answer is 1,000. Based on water, the metric system dictates:
There are 1,000 cc in 1 liter (1,000 ml), and that liter (of water) weighs 1,000 g (1 kg)
Similarly, 300 cc weighs 300 g, and takes up the space of 300 ml.
Still saying "I HATE METRIC!"?? then I have news for you:
That tire you bought for your car? The FIRST number is METRIC. 195/70R14 means 195cm (70%, 14")
Did I say that loudly enough? CENTIMETER
OK, enough. but here are just a few of everyday things are measured in METRIC - already - in the USA:
Camera lenses, binoculars, and telescopes — eyepiece, lens diameter: mm; focal length: mm
Eyeglass lenses and frames — all dimensions: mm
Camcorder video tapes – 8 mm
Photographic film — 35 mm
Wine – mL
Track and field events — distances: KILOMETERS
Bicycles — frame height: CM, all bolts and fasteners: MM
Motorcycles — CC
HAM and Shortwave radio frequencies – METERS
Jewelry — dimensions: mm
Wrist watches — water resistant depth: METERS
Aspirin and ALL prescriptions – mg (MILLIGRAMS)
Food content – mg
The dimensions of NiCad, NiMH, Alkaline and Lithium batteries are measured in millimeters.
Oh, and let's not forget the biggest one: The big, baaaaaad US MILITARY is completely Metric. Go ahead - check it out - ask any Service person.
Finally, look up the US definition of "Calorie" - you'll find that it's: "The quantity of thermal energy required to raise one gram of water 1°C at 15°C." That's GRAMS and Celsius.
Again. THE USA ALREADY USES METRIC, but people won't change until it is "forced". Let's do it!
** OK, not ALL the world: Myanmar and Liberia [ad the USA] still use the King's system.
Go metric inch by inch
Why not use the expression
mm by mm
or
if you can't let go of inches
inching toward US metrication
mm by mm
Anti-metric attitude
I find it somewhat interesting that the only two countries where strong anti-metric feelings exist are in the US and UK. Everywhere else the metric system is accepted as normal with no attempts to cling to or justify the use of non-SI units.
I also find it interesting that both of these countries (since the drive towards full metrication began in the mid-1970s in the English speaking world) have experienced the greatest loss of industrial jobs in the world since that time. The US is presently the largest debtor nation and the UK is still deep in recession. The US is too, but they refuse to admit it.
It would seem that the rest of the world has chosen to use the units of measure that will bring them prosperity, now and in the future, while the US and UK will continue to find excuses to continue to use their out of date units. I wonder how many Americans and British will have to go to bed hungry or homeless before the hard truth sets in......no metric no jobs.
Everybody, sign this petition
Everybody, sign this petition to show your activism! If we aren't active, we may never change. And make sure to email Obama about why we should switch to the metric system.
http://www.change.org/petitions/view/twenty-first_century_metric_america
Don't stand idle. If you want change, you need to be active.
We shouldn't only switch to
We shouldn't only switch to the metric system. A meter is a measuring instrument; a metre should be the unit of length (also liter to litre, deka- to deca-, etc.) because international communication is one of the main benefits of the SI. Different spellings of, say, humor/humour are fine because those are not meant to be used with an international system.
I am Metric
The metric system is a much better measurement system than the American system of measurement.
Metrication Plan
I am and was a supporter of the metric system ever since I was introduced to the metric system in elementary school. The exposure was only for a couple of weeks, then on to the imperial system without any further review of metric.
* Since metrication has become stagnant, why not focus our efforts into teaching metric only in elementary school and introducing imperial systems and fractions in middle school years. This would change our countries familiarity with metric to knowing metric. I also think this would give us future allies in metrication of America.
* So goes California, so goes the United States. If all metrication organizations focused their efforts one state at a time starting with California, other states could be converted later
* After signifcant progress has ben made, state ID and drivers license should record hight and weight in metric. This would allow older Americans to become familiar again with metric
* Require Medicare and Medical to accept only claims submitted in metric to be reimbursed. This would encourage private sectors to begin using the metric system.
* Other ideas could be added along with a plan of overal conversion.
US metrication
Firstly I declare that I'm not from the US but Australia and read with interest this web site and comments. I'm an electrical engineer and continued interest in science.
Australia first started metric conversion in 1971 and probably finished by 1985. It was a long process and reminants of the old measuring systems still exist today (2011), for example, baby weights are discussed in pounds,,, simply because its a point of comparison for the older generations. I'm now 42 and was schooled in the late 1970's and 1980's, and I know nothing other than the metric system, yet my brother, 8 years older than I, completed at least some his schooling under the old old system. He then went into the domestic building trade (very tradiational by nature) and used feet/inch's a great deal.... only slowly was that stamped out.
So I can appreciate some of the relucance and pain, metric conversion of the US ecomony would entail.... I'd suggest it may take one or two generations to remove once started.
I've not seen mention of NASA's failed mission to Mars. The "Mars Climate Orbiter (formerly the Mars Surveyor '98 Orbiter)" where NASA's own investigation found its failure was due to inconsistant measuring systems. "The primary cause of this discrepancy was human error. Specifically, the flight system software on the Mars Climate Orbiter was written to calculate thruster performance using the metric unit Newtons (N), while the ground crew was entering course correction and thruster data using the Imperial measure Pound-force (lbf). " I grabbed this from Wikipedia and its has referrences to NASA's own web site/reports.
So I wish you well and unfortunately a long journy in your mission to convert the US ecomony to the SI metric system. It may be an issue discussed/dealt with for the next 100 years.
Stuart