Connecticut Educator Hooked on Metrics

AP - Science ^ | May 13, 11:45 PM ET | SHELLEY K. WONG

[phil1750]

I have a degree in Chemistry and Biology and the metric system is the only way to easily make the necessary calculations in either specialty. The US is lagging far behind the rest of the world in math, partially due to our antiquated system. Many professions in the US depend on metrics daily. Check your medicine bottle for dosage. In milligrams.

[American Quilter]

They got into a big argument among themselves with the Dutch and Germans re-fighting WWII and the others taking sides. I didn't have to defend our system any more that night.

Funny!

[Junior]

"Remember, the Communists used metric!"

The communist ate food and breathed air, too...

[American Quilter]

I have a degree in Chemistry and Biology and the metric system is the only way to easily make the necessary calculations in either specialty.

I believe you. I just don't like it!

'Scuse me while I put a pinch of salt in my casserole.

[VRWCmember]

Give 'em 2.54 centimeters and they'll take 1.61 kilometers.

[Lx]

Since I went to Community College I feel I can quote Chris Rock safely.
It's like a Disco with Books...

I like the metric system for tools, what comes after 7/16"? OK, that's easy, what comes after 1/4"?

[SoothingDave]

Let me know when McDonald's starts selling a "113.4 Grammer"

SD

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

We have metric in Canada -- because we thought that the U.S. was going to switch. I'm sorry we didn't wait.

The (only) big advantage of metric is the "base 10" thing. I grew up with the "Imperial" system & there is a lot of memory work involved, and a lot of conversions because of the multitude of bases (2, 3, 12, 16, 40, 5,218, etc.) To say nothing of the problem of converting from Imperial to American fluid measures (bigger ounces in the U.S., bigger quarts and gallons in Imperial). However, the Imperial (or "Traditional") measurement system is more intuitive because it is based on human dimensions and applications.

So far as I know there has never been a metric baby in Canada -- everyone reports the birth weight (most common question after the sex) in pounds and ounces -- even today's parents who were taught nothing but the metric system in school. It's a tradition that I hope stays a long time.

[pawdoggie]

As an old friend loves to say. "Remember, the Communists used metric!"

As does our military. It takes some getting used to, and you can't do it with half-way measures like 2 liter bottles and the smaller kilometer per hour ring on speedometers.

[Peelod]

I hate the metric system, and always have!

Do you advocate a change from our decimal currency?

[SoothingDave]

I have a degree in Chemistry and Biology and the metric system is the only way to easily make the necessary calculations in either specialty.

Yeah, and the use of imaginary numbers helps immensly in the calculation of certain electrical circuits.

Doesn't mean I need to use it for buying bananas. Thinking people use the best tool for the job. A system of units is a tool.

The US is lagging far behind the rest of the world in math, partially due to our antiquated system.

Nonsense. Kids need to learn the fundamentals of math and science. Finding a volume or area in (square) yards or meters doesn't make a difference.

SD

[GATOR NAVY]

Much like the game of soccer, the metric system has a Big-Brothery, globalist "One-worldish" feel to it, and that gives me the creeps. It was developed during the French Revolution by atheist radicals, which makes the whole project even more suspect. Like unions and socialism, the metric system is a European export that has never been an indigenous part of America's special Anglo-based heritage or culture.

Well said. I lived in a metric country for many years. I know the metric system and I can use it, but I have never really liked it.

[MeanWestTexan]

"is always asking me to make conversions from metric to standard for her."

google does that

type in "convert 4 liters to gallons" etc.

[phil1750]

'Scuse me while I put a pinch of salt in my casserole.

1 ounce = 28.349523125 gram. Please measure accurately. I love casseroles.

[FreePaul]

Finding a volume or area in (square) yards or meters doesn't make a difference.

I knew of a professor who insisted that students work problems in units that they made up. The one I remember a student used was furlongs per fortnight. There were others just as good.

[Holicheese]

I was told the same thing when I was in elementary school in the late 70's.
"You better learn the metric system now, because very soon that is all we will be using."
Oh yea, I was also told, "Soccer will be bigger than football soon."

I wonder what ever happened to those old hippie teachers?

[Tribune7]

Bump for the metric system.

[MeanWestTexan]

"The US is lagging far behind the rest of the world in math"

Not really. Such studies are skewed because the US has a 1-track system. Almost everybody that stays in the system goes to "high school."

In other countries the "slower" (academically) kids are peeled off and go to technical schools. They are not tested in the studies.

The kids are alright.

[-YYZ-]

An emotional attachment? Sure, why not? I do too, despite having largely been educated since Canada's metric system changeover. Temperatures above freezing I still don't quite have a feel for in metric units. Of course, in Canada we used the original "standard" system before we changed to metric, not the American version of it. A pint is 20 oz, not 16. Talk about confusing, two systems of measure with different definitions for the same units.

In any case, I'm amazed that anyone who's worked or studied in science and/or engineering can deny the elegance of the metric system. So many things fall together nicely without needing arbitrary constants. A litre of water weighs a kilogram, exactly (OK, close enough, anyway - there's been some technical redefinition of the units over the years). A force of a Newton will accelerate a mass of a kilogram at exactly 1 m/s^2. A degree celsius and a degree Kelvin are exactly the same, and the distance between the boiling and freezing points of water is an easy to remember 100 degrees. I could go on but any of you have have studied this stuff know what I'm talking about - the units were designed to easily derive from one another - Watts, Joules, Newtons, Kilograms, metres, seconds, it all ties together. And it's all in nice neat powers of 10, no 12 of this in that, and 16 of this in the other, and 5280 of this in that, and so on.

Yeah, the Imperial/standard system is great for nostalgia and trivia questions, but it is far from the simplest, most logical system of measurements. To me it is as silly as the U.K.'s old system of money with all it's ha-pennies, pennies, farthings, thrupence, shillings, florins, half-crowns and so on. Why didn't the US (or Canada, or much of anywhere else for that matter) adopt that confusing mess instead of the simple decimal currency systems we do have?

[GATOR NAVY]

This site has a nifty little freeware program for all kinds of conversions. I have used it for years.

http://joshmadison.net/software/convert/