America and the metric system

[WillJ]

America likes to be different (calling football soccer, calling Parliament Congress, etc.), including using the "standard system of measurement" instead of the metric system (which just about everyone else uses, AFAIK).

However, we have gradually grown to accept and use the metric system more and more in our daily lives, whether buying two liter soda bottles or seeing distances in kilometers, along with miles. Also the metric system is taught in school, and every kid now knows how much easier metric is than standard.

So will America ever become completely metric, like most other countries, with miles, feet, ounces, pounds, Fahrenheit, etc. rarely to be seen again? If so, when? Will we continue becoming more and more metric-minded, but never completely let go of the standard system?

(Sorry if this has been covered before; can't search for it at the moment, due to the search function being disabled.)

 

[Mojotronica]

It's different. We don't like it.

 

[Neomega]

in 50 years or less, I think in 50 years america will have to conform to survive as just another economic powerhouse in the world.

 

[Bootstoots]

Is there any other country in the world that uses the "standard system of measurement"?

 

[WillJ]

Originally posted by bootstoots
Is there any other country in the world that uses the "standard system of measurement"?

I don't think there is another country where standard is the main system of measurement, but I think it can be found a little in some countries (Germany, for instance, if I'm not mistaken). IIRC, standard originated from England, although I'm not sure about that.

I voted within 50 years, because I forsee a legislative action being taken that makes the metric system the main system of measurement, sometime in the future. It would be a wise move, since it would straighten us out in measurements with the rest of the world (there's a reason the scientific community uses it), and also considering that by then everyone (except for the really old peeps, and no one cares about them ) will have learned metric while in school, and will be more familiar with it than the current adult generation.

 

[Siegmund]

I voted for 25 years, without any real conviction. If it was up to me, I'd start today.

I've noticed that Canada is becoming noticeably less metric over the last ten years or so, presumably to be more accomodating to the floods of tourists, either that or because of their conversion program being completed but people who still remember the old way being around.

Mind you, the US has taken some odd steps towards becoming more metric over the years - lengthening the foot and inch so that a kilometer would be exactly 3280 feet 10 inches, instead of 3280 feet 10.2 inches?! Someone in the standards department had too much time on their hands.

(Actually there was a point behind that conversion: the standard conversion of 1" = 2.54mm leads to 39.370079ish inches per meter, and it is convenient to to use short inches that are exactly 2.54mm for some purposees, and long inches that are exactly 39.37 per meter for others. But it's a rare sight indeed to actually see someone bother to distinguish between the two!)

 

[kojimanard]

Good thread Willi J. It seems to me silly that we still use this old system, with all its arbitrary measurements. What is it: 16 oz to a pint, two pints to a quart, and four quarts to a gallon? I dont think its because we like to be different. Its just that change is hard and no group, with any influence, has pushed it.

I voted 5 years, but thats very optimistic.

 

[TubaGuy]

In terms of math I am all for the metric system, we use it in most every science class I have ever taken and it is alot easier.

The main problem I have with the metric system is in everyday use. Even though I'm only 17 my brain is still hardwired to the standard system. If I see a road sign that says 25 miles I can judge how far away that is, but if it says 30 Km I can't for the life of me understand how far that really is. Same with mass, if I see something weighs 60 lbs I know that I can easily lift it, where as I couldn't get a good idea of the weight of an 80 Kg object.

 

[Perfection]

I'd like it to come quick but knowing the amount of stupid people and the fact that it hasn't been started I put it at at least 20 years

 

[gr8ful wes]

tomorrow

 

[GotD?]

Originally posted by TubaGuy
The main problem I have with the metric system is in everyday use. Even though I'm only 17 my brain is still hardwired to the standard system. If I see a road sign that says 25 miles I can judge how far away that is, but if it says 30 Km I can't for the life of me understand how far that really is. Same with mass, if I see something weighs 60 lbs I know that I can easily lift it, where as I couldn't get a good idea of the weight of an 80 Kg object.

It may be hard to change measurements, but isn't 1000m = 1km easier to remember 1760yards = 1mile? (I think its 1760 yards)

 

[PantheraTigris2]

They've been saying "we're going metric soon!"

... for decades.

 

[smalltalk]

Measurement mix-up caused NASA Mars orbiter to crash

Friday, October 1, 1999
By MATTHEW FORDAHL
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS


LOS ANGELES -- A mix-up over metric and English measurements likely caused the destruction of the $125 million Mars Climate Orbiter as it started to circle the planet last week, NASA said yesterday.

The spacecraft flew too close to Mars and is believed to have broken apart or burned up in the atmosphere.
NASA said the English-vs.-metric mix-up apparently caused the navigation error. ... Agency officials said the mistake somehow escaped what is supposed to be a rigorous error-checking process. ...

"It does not make us feel good that this happened," said Tom Gavin of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. ... The lab said that its preliminary findings showed that Lockheed Martin Astronautics in Colorado submitted acceleration data in English units of pounds of force instead of the metric unit called newtons.

At the NASA lab, the numbers were entered into a computer that assumed metric measurements.
"In our previous Mars missions, we have always used metric," Gavin said.
...
"This is going to be the cautionary tale that is going to be embedded into introductions to the metric system in elementary school and high school and college physics till the end of time," said John Pike, director of space policy at the Federation of American Scientists in Washington.

http://www.fas.org/mars/991001-mars01.htm

 

[Silverflame]

Never! At least not fully. It'll become official, but everywhere will still be miles, pounds, and gallons. Kind of like Britain.

 

[PinkyGen]

Don't you know the metric system is a communist conspiracy, along with poisoning our precious bodily fluids.

 

[Dralix]

The metric system is the tool of the devil! My car gets 40 rods to the hogshead, and that's how I likes it.

 

[Knight-Dragon]

Originally posted by bootstoots
Is there any other country in the world that uses the "standard system of measurement"?

Singapore and Malaysia definitely use it, as with most other countries (apart fr America and the UK I think).

The concept of the 'foot' and 'pound' etc is rather incomprehensible to me - but that's probably 'cause I used to be fr the science stream.

 

[sysyphus]

Originally posted by Siegmund


I've noticed that Canada is becoming noticeably less metric over the last ten years or so, presumably to be more accomodating to the floods of tourists, either that or because of their conversion program being completed but people who still remember the old way being around.

Mostly the latter, though the metric system is becoming stronger here I would say. Very few people up here can discuss driving distances in miles or filltheir tanks in gallons, it's kilometres and litres all the way.

When discussing the weather, it's most common to use Celcius (I personally use Kelvin )

On the other hand, most people know their heights in feet and inches and their weights in pounds, though on official documentation it is in centimetres and kilograms.

Since most of our commerce is tied to the US and Britain it is very slow for the changeover to be complete.

I strongly advocate the system, it is far superior. I just think the British and Americans are slow to embrace it because it was invented in France

I believe though, that the American MIlitary operates entirely in metric, can anyone confirm either way?

On a side note, the inch-pound-gallon system is called the "Imperial" system, not the "Standard" system

 

[Knight-Dragon]

Originally posted by WillJ
I don't think there is another country where standard is the main system of measurement, but I think it can be found a little in some countries (Germany, for instance, if I'm not mistaken). IIRC, standard originated from England, although I'm not sure about that.

You're wrong - it's the main system in Singapore and Malaysia. I'm also pretty certain it's the main system for most nations in East Asia.

IIRC, the system's originally designed by the French in the 19th century. They still had this rod of metal, representing the length of an exact meter, somewhere in a museum or institution in Paris.

Maybe that's why Americans don't like it.

Edit : Oops, misunderstood the term 'standard' system...

 

[Dralix]

Originally posted by sysyphus
On the other hand, most people know their heights in feet and inches and their weights in pounds, though on official documentation it is in centimetres and kilograms.

That always confused me. I would go to the grocery store and buy a few kilos or hundred grams of something and then think "if I keep eating like this, I'm going to baloon up to 180 lbs."