Should America Start Using the Metric system?

[azzaman333]

If you get to the decimals, no system is more precise, because you could just decimal it out forever...
The point being, 78 Fahrenheit is more precise than 10 Celsius...

It's completely unnecessary precision though. I can't think of a single practical situation where you'd want to be slightly more precise than whole number Celcius, but slightly less precise than using decimals.

 

[Cutlass]

Well, for my little shop it would cost at least $1000 to replace all the standard fasteners, taps, dies, and such with metric ones. Probably more than that, now that I think on it...

And I'm just a littel 1 man shop. Mutliply that by the thousand or so other little one man shops in NYC, and extrapolate from there. And that's just 1 industry!

But it really wouldn't. Because all the things you are talking about are either items that you consume in your production, or that wear out over time. So you use up your inventory and current tools, and when you replace them do to natural causes, you replace them with metric.

No one is claiming that you'd have to throw out all the old and buy new.

 

[LucyDuke]

Hey weirdos: your wiener's probably double digits in centimeters.

IT'S SCIENCE. THINK ABOUT IT.

So do American's learn maths and science in imperial? How far through education do you have to get before metric becomes the go-to system?

Science happens in metric, as far back as I remember (around age 10 I think I had my first dedicated science class). We're taught a little bit of metric earlier with arithmetic but there's not much use of it, or at least wasn't when I was small.

Metric is very common in the science fields. In the average world, metric has no place other than supplemental measurements found in speedometers, bottles, measuring cups and spoons, and rulers. Even then we still love our standard measurement (what you call imperial) we grew up with em.

Heck even our mile posts, speed limit signs are in standard.

I don't love it. I think it's stupid and we should stop embarrassing ourselves by clinging to it like stubborn children. I grew up thinking that.

It's also not as big a deal as the Euros make it out to be, and dudes Celsius sucks.

The metric system is a bit like football (soccer) and Spielberg's upcoming movie Tintin: too European to make the majority of Americans comfortable with the idea they could like them.

Let's never forget that the US is a country founded by migrants who fled Europe because of crap life. Recognizing Europe can have some cool stuff is a bit like removing the very purpose of their country's foundation (I'm exagerating but I'm sure there's a bit of that, unconsciously speaking of course).

But even worse than simply being "European", the metric system has been essentially invented by the French, which makes its case even worse for many Americans. The French agglomerates all US conception of what is the most miserable, pathetic and mediocre in the mankind: cowardice, rudeness, arrogance, treachery, hypocrisy, stinkiness, pompousness. With such a perception of the country, it's rather logical to conclude nothing good can come out of it.

Now it's true that with globalization and internet, all countries are becoming more open than ever to the rest of the world. The US is no exception. And these old "traditional" clichés of Europe will probably slowly die with time, thus making the idea of European (and other international) influences more acceptable over the country.

We like to make crap more expensive by calling it "European". It's all the mystique and sophistication "Chinese" used to have.

Well, for my little shop it would cost at least $1000 to replace all the standard fasteners, taps, dies, and such with metric ones. Probably more than that, now that I think on it...

And I'm just a littel 1 man shop. Mutliply that by the thousand or so other little one man shops in NYC, and extrapolate from there. And that's just 1 industry!

As aronnax said: there's no rush.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

But girls are 1/2.20462262 thinner in kilos.

 

[Silurian]

Kilos are not accurate enough for measuring girls.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

As the doctor said, I'm sorry but I have to weigh your breasts.

"Wahey!!!!".

 

[GhostWriter16]

Precise at what?

The difference between 78F and 79F is less than the difference between 10C and 11C. So if 10C is = to 78F (I am well aware it isn't) than 79F would be equal to 10. something C, NOT 11C.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Good job we have fractions and/or decimals now then.

 

[Silurian]

Inch vs mm

 

[bhsup]

Alright, let's try that again.

65F to 75F is a 10 degrees temperature swing.
18.3C to 23.9C is 5.6 degree temperature swing.

Both of the above represent the same actual temperatures(*) on the two scales. But if you drop the decimals and move to integer differences, then you have to go to 18C and 24C, so you've got a 6 degree swing, and actually now cover a slightly greater temperature range with still 4 less divisions.

Most home HVAC thermostat systems do not allow you to set decimal degrees. If I had to switch to a Celcius system, I'd have less control over the home comfort levels I could set via my thermostat. And yes, frequently 1 degree Fahrenheit does make the difference for me as far as comfort goes. Sometimes 65 just feels a smidge too cool, 67 is just a smidge too warm, and 66 is just right. It's like the porridge! There, see, an example where integer precision does come into play quite prominently.

(*) 18.3 was a rounding of 18.33333~ and 23.9 was a rounding of 23.88888~

 

[Truronian]

If you get to the decimals, no system is more precise, because you could just decimal it out forever...

Precisely.

Neither system is more 'precise'. Precision is a quality of specific measurements and is going to be exactly the same in Fahrenheit or Celsius for any such measurements.

 

[Lillefix]

So many of you favour fahrenheit because it's more precise without resorting to decimals. What about cm vs inches, km vs miles, liters vs gallons. Same opinion there?

 

[Silurian]

Alright, let's try that again.

65F to 75F is a 10 degrees temperature swing.
18.3C to 23.9C is 5.6 degree temperature swing.

Both of the above represent the same actual temperatures(*) on the two scales. But if you drop the decimals and move to integer differences, then you have to go to 18C and 24C, so you've got a 6 degree swing, and actually now cover a slightly greater temperature range with still 4 less divisions.

Most home HVAC thermostat systems do not allow you to set decimal degrees. If I had to switch to a Celcius system, I'd have less control over the home comfort levels I could set via my thermostat. And yes, frequently 1 degree Fahrenheit does make the difference for me as far as comfort goes. Sometimes 65 just feels a smidge too cool, 67 is just a smidge too warm, and 66 is just right. It's like the porridge! There, see, an example where integer precision does come into play quite prominently.

(*) 18.3 was a rounding of 18.33333~ and 23.9 was a rounding of 23.88888~

Why would you have to switch your controls to celcius.
Run it till it can not be repaired economically or you invest in better controls to save in heating costs.

There is no reason that a controller cannot be made with 0.5C divisions for the same cost as one with 1F divisions.

You can get controls that have 0.2C divisions such as this one

http://www.industry.siemens.co.uk/b...controls/documentation/Documents/rev200_d.pdf

which would be even better than one with 1F divisions.

 

[LucyDuke]

So many of you favour fahrenheit because it's more precise without resorting to decimals. What about cm vs inches, km vs miles, liters vs gallons. Same opinion there?

I prefer it because Celsius isn't better.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

If you get to the decimals, no system is more precise, because you could just decimal it out forever...
The point being, 78 Fahrenheit is more precise than 10 Celsius...

I hope you're not saying that 78F = 10C... because they certainly don't!

 

[EnglishCrusader]

Yes, because it makes it easier for me .

 

[bhsup]

So many of you favour fahrenheit because it's more precise without resorting to decimals. What about cm vs inches, km vs miles, liters vs gallons. Same opinion there?

It's not just the decimal factor. In fact, I'd say that is far less a factor than Fahrenheit just making more sense.

0 F is COLD. You hear the temperature is 0, you know its cold out. 0 C...sure, it's technically freezing, but it's just not that cold. Heck if the sun is shining, it's still short sleeve weather. I like my temperature scale's 0 point being a good "yeah, that's a good point to start staying inside unless you need to be out."

And if you go to the opposite end of this, 100 F is hot. You know if it's 100 F out, you should just stay inside unless you need to be out. 100 C?? What the...yeah, go die. I don't like the idea of something as wimpy sounding as 40 degrees being HOT.

 

[Lillefix]

But celsius has this nice feature, that if it's below zero there's ice outside, and if it's above zero there's not. Usually.

 

[Cheetah]

It's not just the decimal factor. In fact, I'd say that is far less a factor than Fahrenheit just making more sense.

0 F is COLD. You hear the temperature is 0, you know its cold out. 0 C...sure, it's technically freezing, but it's just not that cold. Heck if the sun is shining, it's still short sleeve weather. I like my temperature scale's 0 point being a good "yeah, that's a good point to start staying inside unless you need to be out."

And if you go to the opposite end of this, 100 F is hot. You know if it's 100 F out, you should just stay inside unless you need to be out. 100 C?? What the...yeah, go die. I don't like the idea of something as wimpy sounding as 40 degrees being HOT.

Please tell me that you know your arguments sound a bit... silly?

 

[bhsup]

Well sure they do

I have no -real- valid reason not to adopt the metric system other than the fact that I grew up with the imperial / us system and am more comfortable with it. Given that, all I can fall back on to defend what I prefer is the inane and silly. Doesn't make me wrong, though!