I'm still waiting to implement the "Decibet."
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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Never gonna happen.
Besides, we tried this in the 70s. It sucked then, it sucks now.
I'm still waiting to implement the "Decibet."
If we’d followed though back in the 70’s English measurements would be nothing but a quaint memory today.
RE: NO!!!!! The world doesn’t need two Europes.
What about Asia, South America, Australia and Africa?
I guess metric nerds are timeless.
Sci Am has a lot of wonderful and interesting articles, but they also have an annoying liberal slant. This article sounds like it fits in with the editorial worldview.
I get Scientific American because of the stimulating articles in obscure areas of science, written by experts. I overlook the obvious global warming bias that often creeps in. For example, in a recent issue they had an article about how the Keystone pipeline would be bad for global warming because oil sands are carbon intensive to mine and refine.
Step one will be ten eggs for the price of twelve...
No, it isn’t time. Screw your litres - I don’t see a pump around that pumps it. Screw your Kgs.....my scale don’t have it. Screw your meters, Kliks and whatever. I’m not a soldier anymore and my rifle scope and rangefinder are in yards. We don’t need it because you think it is neater, cooler, or other countries use it. I don’t even buy Coke by the frigging “litre” because I don’t have to adapt to your idea of ‘what should be’.
A President Newt would have been the perfect messenger. The issue would be something the left couldn’t handle because their voters would not know that they’re talking about. The ‘discussion’ would change from more important things such as ‘race.’
You think America is GREAT because we use measurements invented by ancient English kings?
Some things never change. When America flirts with socialism and then sees things go downhill, some folks want to go metric. Like it will help.
Let the damned world keep the metric system if they like it that much.The government has been trying to jam that down our throats for. Forty years. and it has ‘t worked yet.
I like our present system of weights and measures.
Forcing our country to convert to the Metric System would be the final nail in America’s coffin.
English metrics (ha! ironic, huh) were derived from common relatable instances (pounds, stones, gallons, feet, yards).
True metrics (ala ‘system’) were designed by lazy scientists and aficionados that thought it would be neat to only have to worry about things in tens, hundreds, etc. Screw them...I never bought a deciliter of anything - never will.
METRIC? Wasn’t THAT forced on us in the Carter administration and it went over like a lead balloon!
I still remember popular publications (Mother Earth News) for farm and home items, at that time, giving instructions in metric with no “inch” measurement seen.
Today I have to keep two sets of tools for work on equipment because just when you are getting along well suddenly you come upon a bolt that is metric.
We need to keep something unique about us!
Back in the ‘70’s, my college-educated sister tried to extol the virtues of the metric system to our farmland aunts and uncles.
Needless to say, it did NOT go well for her. I finally had to change the subject to animal husbandry or some such more relevant topic.
Yes. It is. We have our values, tradition and yes, even remnants of ancient English Kings’ rule. Why do you want to destroy it?
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