To Metric or not Metric

[race aficionado]

I was just shown this world map where it shows the the countries that have not implemented the Metric system.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ric_system.png

Through my life time I have been witness to the unsuccessful attempt of the US of A to change from their feet and inches standards to what is now used by the majority of other earthlings.

It would be so much practical for a unified standard of measurement.

Do you care?
mokin:

[schmenke]

Canada "went metric" back in the '70s and I think most Canucks will agree that the system is sooo much easier to use than imperial. All measurements are based in multiples of 10 .
However, ask me how tall I am and I'll reply "5 foot 10 inches"

[Roamy]

I don't know who keeps living under the rock here but I suspect it is Detroit.

[Daniel]

Roamy, some people here in the UK still long for the days of nonsensical units of measurement

[Rollo]

The speed of light is about 1.8 Megafurlongs per Microfortnight.


A Nebuchadnezzar is 20 Bottlesworth and a Balthazar is 16 Bottlesworth. This demonstration is a bit more than a Balthazar.

One of my favourite units of measaurement is the amount of stupidity in a conversation which is measured in "likes per minute". If the word "like" is being used as a comparitive then it isn't counted, but phrases such as "and then she was like" are.
Conversations which are more than about 10lpm are quite stupid.

I hate Metric generally for two reasons. Firstly units like Feet, Pounds, Inches, bhp, the pint etc are all inherantly useful (and in some instances tasty), and secondly the Metric System is French... and that's terrible.

[Sonic]

Roamy, some people here in the UK still long for the days of nonsensical units of measurement

I just wish we'd pick! I buy a pint of milk, but a litre of petrol. I drive in mph, but the highway code is in meters. My son was 9lbs 2oz, but I'm 80kg's!

[Jag_Warrior]

With increasing globalization, having a standard system of measures would make things easier for those involved in international trade or travel. But outside of that, I'm not sure that it matters. Anyone involved in engineering, CNC, CAD/CAM work or automated production already uses a system which is based on 10th's: .0001, .001, .010, .100 of an inch. Only carpenters, or those in the (rough) building trades, use 1/4's, 1/8's and 1/16th's much these days. So if one is already using increments of 10, much of the advantage of metric is removed. Although I admit that when moving to broader measures (feet to yards to miles), there are clear advantages to metric. It's not something I ever think about, so I'd have to think hard (back to 6th grade) to remember how many feet or yards are in a mile. But unless you're a Sarah Palin type person, you'd automatically know that there are 1000 meters in a kilometer. Heck, even someone as stupid as Paris Hilton probably knows what a kilo of coke goes for these days and what that amount should look like.

What concerns me most right now is how many $'s it's going to take to buy a barrel of oil this summer. My fear is that price will either go up... or they're going to charge the same but make that dang barrel smaller!

[Eki]

Inches smell like foot.

[Eki]

BTW, can anyone identify those two countries other than the US using the Imperial system without peeking another site or a map?

[Rollo]

BTW, can anyone identify those two countries other than the US using the Imperial system without peeking another site or a map?

The USA, Liberia and Myanmar.

And the only reason I know this is that it was in a pub quiz (where they sell pints). When you say PUB, I say QUIZ.

PUB... QUIZ
PUB... QUIZ
PUB... QUIZ