General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhen we take over all three branches can we please go metric?
I mean, really.
Vacationed in Canada this past month and there are SO many things they laugh at us about.
Wounded Bear
(58,656 posts)madinmaryland
(64,933 posts)Short of a first down by three millimeters!
tymorial
(3,433 posts)Does sound ridiculous
hlthe2b
(102,276 posts)but, I must say with cellphone conversion apps, it isn't really a problem much anymore.
Siwsan
(26,262 posts)I completely agree.
Blues Heron
(5,932 posts)not the arbitrary physical properties of water. That's just random.
Goodheart
(5,324 posts)ret5hd
(20,491 posts)PoliticAverse
(26,366 posts)Poiuyt
(18,123 posts)It's based on absolute zero. Nothing arbitrary there!
I used to work as a chemist and had no trouble using Celsius.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,316 posts)Why is water 'arbitrary' or 'random'? As precipitation in the environment, its freezing point is very important.
Blues Heron
(5,932 posts)likewise 100 represents about the hottest weather we will generally experience.
It's a scale that represents the extremes we are likely to experience with regard to weather. So if it's below zero - that really is insanely cold, likewise over 100 is insanely hot. I should have said it's a weather or climate based scale.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,316 posts)Many places expect temperatures over 100 F every year, but never get down to 0. Some will get down to around 0 often, but never reach 100. But water freezes at 0 Celsius everywhere.
I am surprised by the number in this thread who think Celsius is "wrong" somehow, even while saying they're OK with other metric measurements. It really isn't hard to say "twenty" instead of "seventy". Very few people actually look at a physical thermometer these days; we just have a machine or a person tell us a number, and then we compare that to past numbers we've heard to think about how hot that is.
Blues Heron
(5,932 posts)Gives a nice level of precision, with convenient decadal comfort zones - when you hear "and temps in the seventies" you just smile. And then of course "triple digits -aaaaaghh!!" Celsius divides likely weather into far fewer degrees, so it's just plain less precise.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,316 posts)and then say how much you like counting in tens.
tenderfoot
(8,432 posts)It's always the COSTS!!!! How are we going to fund it? Who's going to pay for it?
America should start referring to itself as AmeriCAN'T.
Can't afford universal health care
Can't afford free university
Can't afford a national rail system
Can't afford to keep up the infrastructure
And for such a wealthy country with all those BILLIONAIRES
Dennis Donovan
(18,770 posts)...after all of this is gone:
Cirque du So-What
(25,938 posts)which usually amounts to little more than conversion back and forth. The best way is to actually use the metric system, as done in the scientific world.
Captain Stern
(2,201 posts)I also think that if we are ever going to be serious about switching over, we need to start teaching kids the metric system first. Not teach them the English system, and then how to convert to metric.
icymist
(15,888 posts)Just imagine the fun they could have trying to figure out conversions with temperature, gasoline efficiency, and, most of all, the length of a football field or NASCAR track!
Goodheart
(5,324 posts)I buy a liter of Coke. I don't really care how many quarts that converts to.
gratuitous
(82,849 posts)I drive to the state capital, it's 50 miles more or less, which is 80 kilometers, more or less. I don't have any real concept of what 50 miles is, nor, I suspect, do most people. Within six months, I'd have made the mental conversion to 80 kilometers and forget about 50 miles altogether.
Snackshack
(2,541 posts)It would be nice if we did. Addition/ Division/ Subtraction/ Multiplication by 10s is soooo much easier/quicker. We could have gone with that system originally but that would have been too Englishy... 🙂
TruckFump
(5,812 posts)Response to TruckFump (Reply #12)
Akacia This message was self-deleted by its author.
Skittles
(153,160 posts)it's not just about what YOU like, this is something America should have done a long time ago
Akacia
(583 posts)like I stated there seem to be more important things to worry about than that. Also a little taken aback by the way YOU decided to respond .
Skittles
(153,160 posts)sorry, I find it ridiculous for people to be saying IT'S JUST TOO HARD...there's ALWAYS "other things" going on
Akacia
(583 posts)No skin off my back either way have a good day.
doc03
(35,337 posts)converting to metric even before that. It just don't catch on after all these years I have to convert a cm to inches, a liter to a quart and kg to pounds in my head to understand.
Goodheart
(5,324 posts)doc03
(35,337 posts)and miles. If someone says something holds 20 liters I automatically think how many gallons is that.
Goodheart
(5,324 posts)doc03
(35,337 posts)Goodheart
(5,324 posts)doc03
(35,337 posts)NutmegYankee
(16,199 posts)Tommy_Carcetti
(43,182 posts)To much inertia and logistics involved. We are pretty much set in our ways and we arent going to be changing for anyone.
Besides, while certain parts of the metric system make a lot of sense, other parts dont.
For example, temperature. I was in Europe recently and trying to figure the difference between 15 and 20 degrees was surprisingly challenging.
Goodheart
(5,324 posts)Tommy_Carcetti
(43,182 posts)Im fine on changing on metric distance but Celsius temperature just sucks. Sorry.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,316 posts)There's nothing "human" about a degree Fahrenheit. You can't measure it as a difference with your body. 0 degrees Fahrenheit is not a meaningful temperature (most humans won't encounter it in nature in their entire lives, just in a freezer).
cwydro
(51,308 posts)I was in Europe in the spring, and I really didnt find temperature to be that challenging at all.
After a week, I found myself knowing what 10, 11, or whatever was.
That being said, I see no reason for the US to have to change. We tried that years ago - it didnt take.
Skittles
(153,160 posts)I remember hearing that same shit in England in the 70's when they converted their money from base 12
brush
(53,778 posts)to fix without adding that immediate complication.
There has to be public education (1 quart = .946 liter) in all the media and schools. Conversion was tried in the 70s but there was so much resistance it was abandoned.
gopiscrap
(23,760 posts)when I first came to the US I had to re learn all measurements
PoliticAverse
(26,366 posts)TheCowsCameHome
(40,168 posts)FakeNoose
(32,639 posts)When we were young we should have screamed for the metric system. Instead we've fought it our entire lives and now we're in our 60's and 70's - we can't possibly change. It's the young ones, probably our grandchildren, who have to make the change. No group of 20-year-olds will ever have the perspective to understand this.
We get it, but it's too late for us.
Skittles
(153,160 posts)PLEASE SPEAK FOR YOURSELF
USALiberal
(10,877 posts)Skittles
(153,160 posts)makes America look like a bunch of nitwits, making decisions based on how old folk will adapt - it's ridiculous
AncientGeezer
(2,146 posts)Old guys like me...a running gag is...we can have 300,000 sockets and the 1 that ALWAYS gets lost....10mm and everything is 10mm
FakeNoose
(32,639 posts)...but it's not the system we grew up with, so most of us aren't comfortable with it.
In the kitchen I can usually guess-timate 8 ounces of water, but I could never guess 250 ml of water. Turns out, they're almost the same.
elocs
(22,574 posts)Being laughed at because we don't use the metric system ranks pretty low on things to be concerned about.
Skittles
(153,160 posts)sorry, it does
AncientGeezer
(2,146 posts)Do you call Brits idiotic for saying someone weighs 14 stone instead of 200lbs or 90+kg?
Skittles
(153,160 posts)so let's convert to Metric
AncientGeezer
(2,146 posts)Skittles
(153,160 posts)I remember my grandma and her friends, wailing about how hard it would be, how they didn't understand, wouldn't be able to adapt - even then I knew it was utter nonsense.....they did fine.
ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)meters?!
Crap, I just found this converter: Convert Hands to Meters http://www.kylesconverter.com/length/hands-to-meters
I don't have any excuses now.
On a more serious note, whose brilliant idea was it to come up with how we measure car tires? Tread width in millimeters, sidewall height as a fraction of tread width, and wheel diameter always in inches. I mean seriously, who the fuck came up with that idea? (Note: this is why I have stuck with 33 X 12.50 X 15 for so long.)
keithbvadu2
(36,805 posts)Gov't wanted to go metric back in the 60s.
Great resistance.
Socialist, communist, satanic and lots of fear.... It's 'new'.
Too bad. Metric is easier and more logical.
The Army has no problem with metric.
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-far-is-a-klick-in-the-military-3357005
keithbvadu2
(36,805 posts)Learn About Nautical Miles vs. Statute Miles
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/nautical-miles-vs-statute-miles-282937
Ilsa
(61,695 posts)his girlfriends' figures of 100-65-90.
applegrove
(118,655 posts)miles. I don't know it in metric.
TheRealNorth
(9,481 posts)When I have suggested we should adopt Arabic numerals.
Tanuki
(14,918 posts)stevil
(1,537 posts)I'm bimeasurement. New word. Can't get the hang or Celcius though.
mitch96
(13,904 posts)0 is freezing, 10 is not... 20 is comfortable and 30 is hot!!
Quick and dirty... 10c=50f, 22c=72f. I stink at math well and that 5/9th stuff drives me nuts
I take the c and double it, subtract the first digit and add 32.. If I need more than just an estimations
22C x2=44. 4-44=40 40+32= 72F
M
House of Roberts
(5,169 posts)The programming for the CNC Mills is done in inch, the machines run them in inch, we have to use inch measuring tools, as we convert metric to inch to check the parts, but the quality people have to use inch measuring tools, then write the quality reports in metric to match the prints.
LAS14
(13,783 posts)... I am glad we didn't go metric.
Polybius
(15,413 posts)Also, some parts of Canada still don't use it.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)And well have metric tomorrow.
lordsummerisle
(4,651 posts)practically overnight back in the '70s. Anyone remember when you could buy a fifth? Strangely enough though 1 alcoholic drink is still 1.5 ounces...
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)saidsimplesimon
(7,888 posts)Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)The rest I guess I can sort of get used to... Although renaming everything (Indianapolis 500, anyone?) is going to be a monumental pain in the ass..
tirebiter
(2,536 posts)Just sucks as a folksong
Blues Heron
(5,932 posts)totally agree. "Gonna give you every 2.4 centimeters of mah love" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue either
royable
(1,264 posts)The plains are mostly surveyed in square mile grids--you can see it easily as you fly over. Many cities in the West have major streets along the boundaries of the square mile grids. Northern New England is all in square mile grids. Town and townships and counties in many places are all integer numbers of miles on a side. Western public and state-owned lands have their boundaries follow these grids, in some places creating a checkerboard of land ownership. In short, much of the country's road system, land ownership, civic and municipal boundaries, are structured on the mile. The mile may be supplanted by the kilometer but it's not going away entirely any time soon.
JustABozoOnThisBus
(23,340 posts)A week should be 10 days long.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And kilometers to go before I sleep,
And kilometers to go before I sleep.
Blues Heron
(5,932 posts)You keep splitting the difference until you get the necessary precision. Decimals can be less helpful.
I think the metric system suffers from a cutesy attempt to tie everything together around water and base 10
A cubic liter of water is 1000 grams, and is 10 centimeters on a side. Wow that's really impressive.
Goodheart
(5,324 posts)Blues Heron
(5,932 posts)ie 1/2 1/4 1/8 1/16 1/32 etc can be more useful than ".064823"
Goodheart
(5,324 posts)But certainly not on engineering or construction projects.
Blues Heron
(5,932 posts)1/2 = .5 ok cool thats not too bad 5 is half of ten
1/3 = .33333333333333333333333333333 ok that's a little weird
1/4 = .25 ok cool i can handle that
1/5 = .2 right
1/6 = fuck no idea
1/7 no clue
1/8 .125 not bad
1/9 .111111111 ?? is that right?
1/10 = .1 there it is - awesome system!
onenote
(42,703 posts)There is no public demand for it. Making it a priority would be a slap in the face of the voters.
Goodheart
(5,324 posts)Remember when just a few years ago the stock market switched TO THE METRIC SYSTEM from a system of fourths and eighths and sixteenths?
Was that a slap in the face to investors?
Our money is already on the metric system. Length and volume measurements would be similarly easy FOR EVERYBODY and FOR ALL TIME.
onenote
(42,703 posts)Trying to go metric was a bust with the public when it was tried before. There is no demand for it. And if we get control of the government we'll have a long list of very important things to do that have public support. Making a priority of something that doesn't have support would be an extraordinary stupid idea. Fortunately, the folks that will have control over the agenda know that so this is a silly discussion of something that isn't going to happen.
Goodheart
(5,324 posts)And it wouldn't entail that much legislation nor much social upheaval in the first place.
For example, with any new infrastructure bill clauses such as "speed limit signs on Federal highways must display speeds in both mph and kmph" could be included.
How is that difficult? Would you be slapped in the face?
Furthermore, according to your thinking we should be saddled with an inefficient system of weights and measurements for all time because you want to avoid drama.
MicaelS
(8,747 posts)We have a lot of issues that are much more important than this. We should not waste political capital on this issue.
Sapient Donkey
(1,568 posts)Didn't attempts fails during the 70's? I think it would require a gradual shift in which there is a concerted to slowly implement metric into everyday life until the general public is able to use both systems second nature. At that point it would probably be much easier, but I don't think there is much of an interest for that to happen.
JCMach1
(27,558 posts)Response to Goodheart (Original post)
geralmar This message was self-deleted by its author.