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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We kicked the king’s ass out of the country 250 years ago. We should have kicked his stupid measurements out at the same time.
“Never gonna happen.”
It should, and it probably will.
The reason is the ease of most calculations. For instance, if I ask how much 500 cubic feet of water weighs, you’re going to have to go through some contortions to figure it out.
On the other hand, if you ask how much 500 cubic decimeters of water weighs, the answer is instantly known - 500 kg (a cubic decimeter is also one liter). For 500 cubic meters of water, the answer is 500 metric tons. Since density is expressed in terms of water, answers are equally easy for other materials.
The ease of calculation is the same regardless of the type of unit, which is why metric is the standard in science and engineering.
Switching to metric would also eliminate a ton of barriers to trade, both import and export.
It’s getting to the point where the cost of retooling is outweighed by the advantages.
Temperature under the metric system is just great if you are a scientist.
75 degrees F is 23.888888888888914 degrees C
And
80 degrees F is 26.666666666666686 degrees C
Metric is just so handy
I, for one, am against the use of a logical measurement system employed by the rest of the world! If a horsepower was good enough for James Watt, why should I measure power in watts?
When I do physics, I’ll use metric.
Otherwise, I use the existing system.
Good grief, if one cannot do a quick metal change from one to the other, use a calculator.
> ... our refusal is based on emotion and familiarity ...
Not true!!!
Our resistance to metric adoption is based on the requirement that businesses would be required to retool and change all of their manufacturing equipment to metric. This would cost billions of dollars.
Our decision to stay with inches, feet, pounds, ounces and gallons is based on economics.
Nonsense. Give me a GALLON of gas over a liter everyday.
When I was a child 40 years ago Scientific American was a great publication. Some of the articles I had difficulty understanding because of my age but I tried and I learned things that surprised my teachers. About 1980 things changed. Scientific America became much more agenda driven.
I canceled my subscription. If is difficult to see an old friend die before your eyes and become a zombie.
We can convert to the metric system when the English learn to drive on the right side of the road.
What does CHINA use? Several years ago I bought an outdoor light made there. it included two lag bolts to screw it in place.
Problems;
It was between my two metric sized sockets (10 and 11). My “Inch” tools would not fit.
So out came the adjustable Crescent wrench. It was a tough area to get to but none of my sockets would fit it.
Don’t try to talk reason to a real amurikan.
Since you know that the global warming articles are inaccurate, what leads you to believe that the other articles are accurate? I follow the philosophy that once a lie is told, never believe the liar again.
Please tell me what is stupid about a furlong or an acre, or a mile? Furlong related to the length a of a field a man an ox team would plow 220 yards, or a mile as 8 furlongs.
Much more relatable than the tens, hundreds and thousands of a metric system.
Besides that, why do you revel in throwing off kings of yore, specifically those things that came to be commonplace and withstood the test of usage and time? For the system of another group of Europeans with whom we have little in common really, save for a massive influx of third worlder illegals and Muslims?
Finally, you can wish and hope all you want, it won’t change
“Temperature under the metric system is just great if you are a scientist.
75 degrees F is 23.888888888888914 degrees C
And
80 degrees F is 26.666666666666686 degrees C
Metric is just so handy”
Of course, I seriously doubt you could tell the difference between 23.9 C and 24 C, or 26.7 C and 27 C. Somehow the entire rest of the world manages to muddle by with those units...
But, by all means cling to your silliness. :-)
Did you use an English or metric crescent wrench?
How many rods you got on your car?
Franklin and Jefferson both advocated for the metric system.
“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 quit subscribing years ago. I got sick of the pushing/shoving of whatever agenda the editorial board wants to follow. Some of the articles are okay, but most are not “real” journal articles. Think science “filtered” so that we “peons” can understand it. I hate condescension, especially by supposed elites.
The push to “go metric” is just one more instance of our “betters” knowing what is best for us and telling us how we should think. They believe (they really do!) that we “peons” are too stupid to be able to use more than one system of measurement, and to be able to switch back and forth as needed.
The metric system has its place in science, as it does make calculations easier, but that doesn’t mean it is a good replacement for other systems of measurement for other purposes.
Same thing goes for the centigrade/fahrenheit controversy...
The liberals already have this country in the ground and buried and you are worried about a measurement system being a final nail? The body is below the ground 1.8288 meters.
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