Metric 4 US!!

[Slaughter]

While I was doing some work for Fallout: Rebirth of Civilization mod, I found a site where I found a working Imperial/Metric conversor on http://www.metric4us.com/calculator.html and found that 5 and 6 feet = 1.524 and 1.8288 metres. I put that information thesre, and just for kicks, put the (sucky) Imperial System on the Civilopedia too, so no one have any problem with measurements.

Man, what a hell of a stupid, imprecise system Imperial is.

And then, I found some interesting:

http://www.metric4us.com/why.html

I found how I am blessed to be born on a place that adopts a metric system to begin with. This make physics easier for me, in first place.

And then I found how Imperial is stupid, outdated and ridiculous:

http://www.metric4us.com/whynot.html

Man, what a ridiculous and chaotic system is Imperial! How something even gets measured in North America after all??!

I am not american, but I find deeply ridiculous for a advanced nation and the world's current superpower to use a ridiculous system of measurement. Say no to imperial, yes to metric (I hate when I see "feet" or something on a description)

 

[Truronian]

Change isn't cheap...

 

[Urederra]

I am for it....

Can a state by its own decide to change their road signs to metric?

 

[Yeeek]

Now think about those guys over the channel were using the Imperial system AND driving on the wrong side of the road until they recently dediced (1995? if someone wants to correct me) to do the transition. Crazy uh?

 

[Masquerouge]

Aahhhh good it's been a long time since the last Metric vs Imperial thread

The greatest thing about metric is that is works using power of tens, making it really easy to convert cm into m into km and so on...

Then of course, the beauty of having 1 kg equal to the weight of 1 cubic decimeter of water... density, volume, mass, all bundled into one...

 

[bhsup]

Um, no thank you. I can use the metric system just fine if forced to, but I've no love for it and am quite happy with our old imperial system, thank you kindly. People have been trying to force the metric system on the population of the USA for decades now. Back in the 70s our teachers told us that the USA would be metric within 10 years. My mom said her teachers told them the same thing in the 40s and 50s.

@Urederra: They could probably do so, but federal roads would most likely still be required to show imperial measurements as well. This isn't really a States' Rights issue as the Constitution clearly gives the Federal Government to power and responsibility for standards of weights and measures. Article 1, Section 8: To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

 

[Masquerouge]

Um, no thank you. I can use the metric system just fine if forced to, but I've no love for it and am quite happy with our old imperial system, thank you kindly. People have been trying to force the metric system on the population of the USA for decades now. Back in the 70s our teachers told us that the USA would be metric within 10 years. My mom said her teachers told them the same thing in the 40s and 50s.

Luckily for your country, your scientists are using the metric system

 

[bhsup]

Luckily for your country, your scientists are using the metric system

Heh, remember that probe that slammed into the Martian surface? That was due to a metric / imperial confusion. I don't recall which way they were supposed to go, but a contractor for one of the critical parts used the wrong system.

 

[Masquerouge]

Heh, remember that probe that slammed into the Martian surface? That was due to a metric / imperial confusion. I don't recall which way they were supposed to go, but a contractor for one of the critical parts used the wrong system.

Yeah, I remember that My guess would be that someone used the Imperial system when they shouldn't have...

Because I understand completely that you'd like to keep something you grew up with, but I don't think you can deny that the metric system is the best system for science.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

The EU has just scrapped plans to metricise everything. Obviously it makes sense in Science but I think people here in the UK are more familiar with the imperial system. Everyone knows how heavy 12 stone is about but no-one could tell you what that is in kilos. It's also easier to remember 5'11" height rather than 1.76m or something.

I didn't notice us changing the side of the road we drive on in 1995 either!

The US will never adopt metric system because it's French! The US even cheats and has pints that are smaller than proper pints (20 fl oz instead of 22 I think).

 

[scy12]

There are human beings that don't use the metric system ? News to me. Explain to me this Imperial system so that i can understand how it's superior than the system all world is using at the moment.

 

[woody60707]

I'm for it. I already got used to using it when I was in the marines.

But we do need to keep Fahrenheit. It really is just better to use in everyday life.

 

[nivi]

There are human beings that don't use the metric system ? News to me. Explain to me this Imperial system so that i can understand how it's superior than the system all world is using at the moment.

Forget it, only someone who was born into it can make sense of the mess.

 

[Masquerouge]

The EU has just scrapped plans to metricise everything. Obviously it makes sense in Science but I think people here in the UK are more familiar with the imperial system. Everyone knows how heavy 12 stone is about but no-one could tell you what that is in kilos. It's also easier to remember 5'11" height rather than 1.76m or something.

That's a weak argument. People using the metric system have an "easier" time remembering 1.76 cm... and I can very easily remember my height in both systems.
So just because it's familiar, doesn't mean it can't be changed. After all, the metric system supplanted a lot of other systems when it came out in the 18th century...

And tell me, how quickly can you convert 12 stones into ounces?

The US will never adopt metric system because it's French! The US even cheats and has pints that are smaller than proper pints (20 fl oz instead of 22 I think).

Yeah, well we can call it the "Freedom System" and voila!

 

[ParadigmShifter]

12 stones to ounces, not very quickly. 12*14*16 = I need a calculator.

Why would you want to convert stones to ounces anyway? It's alot harder than kilometres to centimetres but that's not the sort of thing you do very often either. Except when doing scientific calculations, for which you would have to be mad to do in imperial (or be a subcontractor for NASA).

America should do its own thing anyway, just to be different, instead of copying Britain and changing it a bit like what they did with the language. All speed limit signs should be in furlongs/fortnight.

Freedom system - and "voila!". Nothing French at all there

EDIT: Typed miles to centimetres when I meant kilometres to centimetres. For US listeners, a metre is the proper word for what ever a meter is (it's something that you put money in for parking here).

EDIT2: Never underestimate Britains under enthusiasm for change. Lots of people (well, lots of stupid and/or bigoted people) read the Daily Mail every day.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

What's wrong with what we do now: metric for science, and imperial for casual life?

 

[cubsfan6506]

Can a state by its own decide to change their road signs to metric?

NO thats one of the powers delegated to the congress. The official system of wheights and measures.

 

[kristopherb]

we use meter's over here ,but for road sign's it miles

 

[Masquerouge]

What's wrong with what we do now: metric for science, and imperial for casual life?

Not much, I'll say. You just have to accept being the subject of jokes from time to time

 

[Kozmos]

Slowly teach kids metric in schools. But with the mess that is your public school system that'll be unpossible to do.