The Metric System... Why not?

[ElasticNinja]

Not gunna happen, Just like we will never switch to the Euro.

there will be an international currency someday

 

[Knewz]

there will be an international currency someday

yep. The U.S dollar

 

[ElasticNinja]

yep. The U.S dollar

no, I mean an international currency managed by a supranational organisation consisting of most of the world

 

[Bob Maxey]

no, I mean an international currency managed by a supranational organisation consisting of most of the world

So tell us why this is a good idea.

Bob

 

[byteware]

better education
but most are also familiar with the meticulous system too - only a few hundred million aren't
has to be fone sooner or later

It doesn't HAVE to be done.

Metric mishap caused loss of NASA orbiter - CNN

'CNN NASA lost a 125 million Mars orbiter because a Lockheed Martin engineering team used English units of measurement while the agencys team used the more conventional metric system for a key spacecraft operation, according to a review finding released Thursday.'

....maybe not such a good idea to use both. The idiom 'singing from the same hymn sheet' comes to mind here.

This is an endtoend process problem, he said. A single error like this should not have caused the loss of Climate Orbiter. Something went wrong in our system processes in checks and balances that we have that should have caught this and fixed it.

Quote from the same article.

with all respect, metric is definitely the better system without a doubt
the imperial is not logical and is based on the sizes of object, and does not follow the 10 system

Better without a doubt? Let's check that... what system does the most technologically advanced nation use?

no, I mean an international currency managed by a supranational organisation consisting of most of the world

Yeah... that's not going to be a good idea for a very very long time.

FYI, it will be quite some time before the US, and the EU submit to the authority of any organization greater than themselves.

 

[ElasticNinja]

So tell us why this is a good idea.

Bob

it would be so much fairer - look at what China does

It doesn't HAVE to be done.

so in year 3000 you will still use the imperial system?

Better without a doubt? Let's check that... what system does the most technologically advanced nation use?

the US also emits the most Carbon Dioxide in the world
doesn't make it good

Yeah... that's not going to be a good idea for a very very long time.

FYI, it will be quite some time before the US, and the EU submit to the authority of any organization greater than themselves.

oh I very much agree - the EU is made up of closely linked countries with similar countries, and look at the issues it has; its still barely a confederation 50 years on, and it takes crises to act properly

 

[byteware]

it would be so much fairer - look at what China does

Would it? Without a similar level of industrialization, there is still going to be a huge disparity among what you can buy with 1 Euro in one country and another.

so in year 3000 you will still use the imperial system?

I know this seems crazy to you... but why not. It's working. If it aint broke don't fix it.

the US also emits the most Carbon Dioxide in the world
doesn't make it good

The scientific measurement standards of the most scientifically advanced nation on Earth...

I see... just because it's the method used by the most scientifically advanced nation, doesn't mean it's good.

oh I very much agree - the EU is made up of closely linked countries with similar countries, and look at the issues it has; its still barely a confederation 50 years on, and it takes crises to act properly

Yeah... it's not happening in our lifetime.

 

[Bob Maxey]

it would be so much fairer - look at what China does.

Come on . . . "It would be so much fairer" is not an answer. WHY would it be a good idea . . . I'll give you a moment to think

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKg5ggoqJ0g

OK, what is the answer? And be sure to phrase your answer in the form of a Wikepedia entry.

Bob

 

[byteware]

with all respect, metric is definitely the better system without a doubt
the imperial is not logical and is based on the sizes of object, and does not follow the 10 system

I have been thinking about this... what if one of the US's strengths is that their measurement system requires real thought...

bear with me here... you don't really have to think in conversions in the metric system. Maybe it's a logic builder that you just don't get in the metric system.

Being simpler... doesn't make it better.

 

[Ichapp]

Of the latest, I specifically wish to tackle the following egregious statements.

I know this seems crazy to you... but why not. It's working. If it aint broke don't fix it.

Just because something works doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. If yours was the only mentality there would be very little in the way of innovation and technological advancement. It's a rather weak argument.

The scientific measurement standards of the most scientifically advanced nation on Earth...

I'm fairly confident in stating that US scientists have been using SI for quite some time. I'd be willing to listen if somebody claimed otherwise and brought to the table a way of backing that up. I would encourage you and any other reader living in the US to head down to your local university and make some inquiries about this to professors and other researchers.

 

[ElasticNinja]

I have been thinking about this... what if one of the US's strengths is that their measurement system requires real thought...

bear with me here... you don't really have to think in conversions in the metric system. Maybe it's a logic builder that you just don't get in the metric system.

Being simpler... doesn't make it better.

that is a good point - however I think it would be better served to just give kids more complicated problems
however look at one area where simplification occurred - tables
I know so many teenagers who can't go above 10 (in my school we did up to 12) - so I see your point to an extent

 

[Snedd]

Last time I was in Ireland (admittedly more than 10 years ago now) all the distance signs were in Km so I assumed (wrongly!) that the speed limit signs must be in Km/h. I'd driven very slowly for several miles out of Dublin, with a huge tailback of traffic following me, before I twigged.

 

[ElasticNinja]

Last time I was in Ireland (admittedly more than 10 years ago now) all the distance signs were in Km so I assumed (wrongly!) that the speed limit signs must be in Km/h. I'd driven very slowly for several miles out of Dublin, with a huge tailback of traffic following me, before I twigged.

speeds are in KM/H for a few years now

 

[mikedt]

The metric system is racist.

Also, which metric system do we use? There are 12 different metric systems used world wide and an inch can be measures 23.34 mm or 32.85 mm depending on the particular system you use.

I would recommend Syst

 

[mikedt]

go to a bar and order a pint of beer or a double scotch on the rocks (shots are unstandardized but most accept them as each being one and a half ounces).

In the UK, shots of whisky and other spirits have been standardised for a long time:

"The Weights and Measures Act of 1963 provides for three standard measures which are one-quarter, one-fifth and one-sixth of a gill, equal respectively to one-and-a-quarter fluid ounces. one fluid ounce and five-sixths fluid ounce. The proprietor of licensed premises must display a notice in the bar showing which of these quantities he is serving. In Scotland the usual measure is one-fifth of a gill and in England one-sixth is more common.

However, after 31 December 1994 it will no longer be permissable to sell spirits using imperial measures. Scotch Whisky, together with gin, vodka and rum, will be dispensed in licensed premises in measures of either 25ml or 35ml. An amendment to Weights and Measures legislation already recognises 25ml as a legal measure. Legislation to permit the 35ml measures will be enacted in good time for the 1994 deadline."
Section 7

...but it's still perfectly legal to sell beer using imperial measures.

 

[mikedt]

The U.S. continues to move slowly towards the metric system. But when you have to re-educate over 300 million people, conversion takes time (especially when many are resistent to the change).

I'm curious to know. What units of measurement do they teach in US schools? Imperial, metric or both? Because if they use metric, presumable those students will grow-up knowing the metric system, and eventually the US will become more metric.

When I went to school in the UK in the mid 70s, the focus was almost completely on metric. We where taught 1000 metres in a kilometre, etc, and not 1760 yards in a mile. Even though most of the country was still using imperial.

 

[byteware]

I'm curious to know. What units of measurement do they teach in US schools? Imperial, metric or both? Because if they use metric, presumable those students will grow-up knowing the metric system, and eventually the US will become more metric.

Both.

 

[byteware]

as far as some of my posts yesterday... please keep in mind that my son was hospitalized monday (3 years old) and has been sick since Saturday... so I was operating on less than optimal sleep.

That being said, he's doing better. He was released Monday night, because after hours of trying, and putting a needle in him 8 times they couldn't put an IV in him... and if we're just going to push fluids, we might as well do that at home.

 

[ElasticNinja]

as far as some of my posts yesterday... please keep in mind that my son was hospitalized monday (3 years old) and has been sick since Saturday... so I was operating on less than optimal sleep.

That being said, he's doing better. He was released Monday night, because after hours of trying, and putting a needle in him 8 times they couldn't put an IV in him... and if we're just going to push fluids, we might as well do that at home.

oh hope he is doing better now

 

[byteware]

oh hope he is doing better now

Yeah, he slept all night last night... so tonight he gets to sleep in his own bed, and me and the wife get to sleep all night.

 

[Martimus]

That's completely fair and I did point out that there are those of you who use and are completely familiar with these arbitrary numbers. But that doesn't change that they are just that: arbitrary. Why are there twelve inches to a foot? Why three feet to a yard? Why 1760 yards in a mile? Where did these numbers come from? The system is not intuitive like SI is. Base ten is the number system most commonly used, we may as well take advantage of this with our measurement system.

And I completely understand your resistance to changing over. You've been indoctrinated in imperial for decades, much as I've been indoctrinated with metric. The places you live have used your system for at least a hundred years. Infrastructure has been based on the imperial system. Hell, here in Canada (a place where we officially use SI) there are relics of bygone days: head out into the country and it's divided up by mile roads, like a grid; buy a weigh scale and it tells you how many pounds you weigh; go to a bar and order a pint of beer or a double scotch on the rocks (shots are unstandardized but most accept them as each being one and a half ounces).

The issue I have with this is that the multipliers used in the metric system are just as arbitrary as those used in the imperial system. 10 millimeters in a centimeter, 100 centimeters in a meter, and 1000 meters in a kilometer. The difference here is simply that each number is even.

We presently live in a technological age. As such why would we use an archaic system like base 10 (decimal) when much of the world's technology now uses base 16 (hexidecimal).

The metric system most definitely has it's merits... but it's neither the end all nor be all of measurement systems. Either system works for individuals who are educated in their use.

And to the person who suggested a future international currency... it'll sadly never happen! The U.S. government, in it's ultimate arrogance, will never allow an international organization to control it's currency... and way too many nations on this planet will never allow the U.S. to exert any degree of control over their currency.

 

[ElasticNinja]

but 10 IS the most commonly used multiplyer!
Imperial measurements have NO common multiplyer
rough estimates aren't good enough either
Martinis, your point about 16 is certainly valid, but there could be a change again with regards to that in the tech world

 

[byteware]

but 10 IS the most commonly used multiplyer!
Imperial measurements have NO common multiplyer

And if everyone's doing it... it must be the best thing to do.

Martinis, your point about 16 is certainly valid, but there could be a change again with regards to that in the tech world

And? A good understanding of a binary based numbering system is absolutely something that EVERY child should have in today's world.

Decimal is outdated, and I honestly don't expect it to be used much in about 150 years.

There is nothing more arbitrary than decimal.

Whether we go binary (2) based number system,

a quadrary number system (2 to the second power) ,

an octal (2 to the third power),

or a hexidecimal (2 to the fourth power),

or a 32 based numbering system (2 to the 5th power),

or even a 64 based numbering system (2 to the 6th power).

These are the numbering systems required to function in the technological world of the future, and Decimal is only hinders that.

 

[ElasticNinja]

And if everyone's doing it... it must be the best thing to do.



And? A good understanding of a binary based numbering system is absolutely something that EVERY child should have in today's world.

Decimal is outdated, and I honestly don't expect it to be used much in about 150 years.

There is nothing more arbitrary than decimal.

Whether we go binary (2) based number system,

a quadrary number system (2 to the second power) ,

an octal (2 to the third power),

or a hexidecimal (2 to the fourth power),

or a 32 based numbering system (2 to the 5th power),

or even a 64 based numbering system (2 to the 6th power).

These are the numbering systems required to function in the technological world of the future, and Decimal is only hinders that.

listen, this is not an argument not to use SI
if you want to change the system of numbering, open another topic
the decimal system is based on fingers (and thumbs ) but we are probably more advanced than that
still changing from decimal will take a loooong time

 

[byteware]

listen, this is not an argument not to use SI
if you want to change the system of numbering, open another topic
the decimal system is based on fingers (and thumbs ) but we are probably more advanced than that
still changing from decimal will take a loooong time

So will changing from imperial to metric.