Tykinruoka
Unlimited power
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2003
- Messages
- 383
Not this again..
Metric 4 US!!
- Thread starter Slaughter
- Start date
Metric is better for everything except volumes of alcohol. 
As someone from Ireland i find the statement ridiculously funny, they were supposed to do it 5 years ago and 4/5 of country signs are still Imperial and everyone still use mph instead of kmph
That didn't work here
e.g here are the common units of measure here:
ft
cm
mm
m (metres)
mph
l
oz
tonne
ml
m (miles)
nonconformist
Miserable
Everyone assumes because I live here that I can work stuff out in imperial 
I'm 185, and 105, but I have no idea whgat that is in imperial.
I'm 185, and 105, but I have no idea whgat that is in imperial.
GinandTonic
Saphire w/ Schweps + Lime
- Joined
- May 25, 2005
- Messages
- 8,898
Today I was building some shelves in the airing cupboard. Slatted shelves to allow air to circulate. Now the sizes of planks of wood are measured in inches but the lengths of wood are measured in cm's. To add to the confusion 2" by 1" wood was only 2" by 1" before it was plained, afterwards it is more like 1 3/4" by 3/4".
Now if I want between 55-70% slats v gaps and the cupboard is 68cm wide and tapers between 61-58cm across the depth how many lengths of 2" by 1" (really 1 3/4" by 3/4") will I need? How many meters does this translate to?
Obviously when dealing with pine planks that are cheap it doesnt really matter, especially when this is an airing cupboard so it doesnt matter if the result isnt exactly what I was aiming at. But it is symptomatic of the way that using a dual system isnt ideal at all. The NASA contractors mistake is a high profile example, but unnecessary complications lead to unnecessary mistakes.
Now if I want between 55-70% slats v gaps and the cupboard is 68cm wide and tapers between 61-58cm across the depth how many lengths of 2" by 1" (really 1 3/4" by 3/4") will I need? How many meters does this translate to?
Obviously when dealing with pine planks that are cheap it doesnt really matter, especially when this is an airing cupboard so it doesnt matter if the result isnt exactly what I was aiming at. But it is symptomatic of the way that using a dual system isnt ideal at all. The NASA contractors mistake is a high profile example, but unnecessary complications lead to unnecessary mistakes.
Masquerouge
Deity
Geez I'm 195 and 95...
nonconformist
Miserable
Mirc
Not mIRC!!!
nihilistic
Intergalatic Delivery Boy
If you are going to advocate for a more organized system (of measurements), it may help if you would refrain from using 1337 language.
LucyDuke
staring at the clock
Yeah, it's cumbersome, old, and irrational. But it's got character.
There's something that just works about the thermometer hitting 100 on a nasty hot day in July. It can't feel the same at 38.
I'm quite comfortable using either. I just like the feel of Imperial.
There's something that just works about the thermometer hitting 100 on a nasty hot day in July. It can't feel the same at 38.
I'm quite comfortable using either. I just like the feel of Imperial.
Urederra
Mostly harmless
Time periods shorter than a second are metric.
Milisecond, picosecond, femtosecond...
Anyway, good one WillJ...
Milisecond, picosecond, femtosecond...
Anyway, good one WillJ...
Indeed. When I moved to Canada, I was able to make the weight / distance switches easily enough. The temperature switch is a pain.
Mirc
Not mIRC!!!
What's better in Fahrenheit?
ParadigmShifter
Random Nonsense Generator
It feels hotter if you measure in Fahrenheit. Not even us Brits use that anymore!
Fat Freddy: "It must be minus 40 degrees in here! I wonder what that is in Celcius?"
Fat Freddy: "It must be minus 40 degrees in here! I wonder what that is in Celcius?"
Masquerouge
Deity
That's true
But what I like in Celsius is that it's related to water - and thus the whole metric system is related to water in a way: one cubic decimeter of water weights one kilogramme, and water freezes at 0, boils at 100...
LucyDuke
staring at the clock
I don't know about hotter. We have two categories of "very cold" with Fahrenheit, though. There's "below freezing" and "below zero". Below freezing is quite cold and I don't want to go out. Below zero is too damn cold and I am not going out.
I know, we could just use the actual number, but like I said before, this is about character, not just measurement.
ParadigmShifter
Random Nonsense Generator
Blimey it must be colder than Scotland where you live (0F = -17C, ouch). Fat Freedy's quote was from the Furry Freak Brothers, the narrator had a speech bubble saying "Hint: They are the same!!!"
LucyDuke
staring at the clock
Southern New England. Below zero is not a common occurrence, but far from unheard of.
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