They already use it in Canada.
Posted on 11/05/2012 2:14:59 PM PST by null and void
Back in grade school, we were told that the Imperial System was a thing of the past, that eventually we’d be living the Metric System life, with all it’s base-10 logic built right in. We’d be just like the rest of the world. But those predictions have proven about as accurate as the flying cars and moon colonies that we all imagined we’d be enjoying in the year 2012.
Occasionally, the issue bubbles up and people argue back and forth about why we haven’t gone Metric, but I think it’s all about inertia. There would be a huge intellectual cost in moving to a new system—training ourselves to think of temperatures in Celsius when we’re leaving home and trying to decide on whether to grab a jacket. Straining to remember what kilometers per liter really comes down to, when we’re used to a lifetime of miles per gallon. Attempting to determine whether you’re losing enough weight, as you stare at the scale showing a strange number of kilograms.
While there are economic costs—heck, just think of the signage issues on our roads—they should be lower today than they would have been a generation ago. Many consumer products in this digital age already allow us to toggle between Imperial and Metric units. And the prevalence of smartphones means that no one has an excuse not to have a conversion app (or at least a calculator) on them at virtually all times.
What this issue comes down to is, as I said, inertia. It’s laziness. No one wants to be the generation that has to juggle two systems in their heads all the time. If we switched today, my kids would grow up pretty much thinking in Metric and would have no problem. But I feel like I’d forever be doing that calculation in my head. Even if I knew 28° C was a nice warm summer day, I think I’d always be converting it back to 82° F just to make sure I knew exactly how warm it was, based on my past experiences. We don’t want to be the ones straddling the two worlds, dealing with parts in both sizes or wondering how to deal with machinery that still had Imperial components that were no longer allowed to be manufactured.
Besides, who has the guts to push an idea like this forward in the country today? If Republicans championed the cause, Democrats would rail against it. And vice versa. And unfortunately, engineers, scientists and the like don’t have the kind of lobby that would be needed to get politicians interested. Even a public relations disaster like losing the Mars Climate Orbiter (due to a conversion mishap) didn’t move the needle on fully switching to Metric. So I guess I’ll just wait with you for that long-off day when we get the first flying car—and wonder what kind of miles per gallon that thing will get.
“The problem with the metric system is that a decimal system does not equate to daily human life in most respects.”
And to add to that, the English had been allowing people during “market day” to use the old measuring system. A few years ago they made it illegal. Once people started, they never wanted to go back to metric.
Sorry, but the metric system is scientific, logical, and numeric - but not at all humanistic. And we are after all humans (well except for liberals).
Almost all packaged goods - bottles, jars, boxes, and bags are dual labeled ( U S Customary and metric (S. I.)) and have been for years.
Ok I was just kidding, it is volume of the horn.
“My car gets 40 rods to the hogshead, and that’s the way I likes it!” — Grandpa Abe Simpson
If Jesus wanted us to use the Metric system, he would have chosen 10 apostles;)
In my line of work, an acre is 43,560 square feet, or 160 square rods, or 4 rods by 40 rods, or one chain by 10 chains, or maybe a rod by a half mile. What could be easier than that?
In my line of work, an acre is 43,560 square feet, or 160 square rods, or 4 rods by 40 rods, or one chain by 10 chains, or maybe a rod by a half mile. What could be easier than that?
No, the reason is they are basically lazy
I still know some older Brits who can still count change in pre-Decimal units. ;-)
It’s simple - I don’t like the metric system, I’m deeply imbued with our system and an inch, mile and gallon make a lot more sense to me than grams, millimeters and liters.
They already use it in Canada.
Used to wuz that Canada used Imperial Gallons.
THAT wuz a problem ('cept when their fuel was less expensive than ours -(Carter 70's?).
Yeah... give em an inch, and they take a kilometer.
Those numbers are hard to Fathom.
All my machine lead screws and dials are "English". I don't need to spend more money just to change to that other system.
There are a lot more drill sizes in the English system than the metric. More is usually better.
For folks in the pre-1970s UK, it was a way of life. Imagine the sheer numbers of differnt coins the US Mint would have to produce if we used the same system that the Brits had. Who would be on the US Florin? The US Groat?
They considered doing that in the ‘70s when gas hit $1.00 per gallon and the pumps could not handle prices over 0.999. Wouldn’t help any more though since gas is now over 0.999 per litre in many places.
I can see for kilometers and kilometers and kilometers and kilometers and kilometers and kilometers!
Oh yeah!
I don't know about "always" but tire width has been in millimeters since I started paying attention. A typical tire designation like P225/50R16 will have a width in millimeters, a unitless aspect ratio and an imperial rim diameter.
Anything else I've measured on cars have had either metric or imperial depending on the car. Unless you are talking about something in the electrical system, which is cheating because there aren't any simple imperial for volts or watts. Maybe you could have a 0.1 horsepower headlight bulb, but I've never heard of one.
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