Should America Start Using the Metric system?

[GoodSarmatian]

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."

That's pretty subjective, but I'm too lazy to search for a MEANWHILE IN FINLAND image url.
0C means there's probably snow and ice. Water freezes. That's not an opinion. It's cold enough for most people.
If you like round numbers: -10C means it's really cold, ~20 is ideal, 20-30 is pretty warm, above 30 is too hot and above 40 is unbearable.

 

[s.c.dude]

If god wanted us to use the metric system Jesus would've had ten disciples.

 

[bhsup]

That's pretty subjective, but I'm too lazy to search for a MEANWHILE IN FINLAND image url.

Yeah, I'd be jealous of Finland too

 

[illram]

Yes. Our system is ridiculously stupid. Aliens have avoided contact with our planet because we are still measuring things in inches.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

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.

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.

0C means there's probably snow and ice. Water freezes. That's not an opinion. It's cold enough for most people.
If you like round numbers: -10C means it's really cold, ~20 is ideal, 20-30 is pretty warm, above 30 is too hot and above 40 is unbearable.

This is hilarious. It was -1C this morning. It's still just 3C. The sun is shining. There was no snow or ice this morning. And it's certainly not shirt sleeve weather outside. It's not cold enough for a winter coat yet, but definitely cool weather that requires a jacket, sweater, or hoodie.

And -10C is not that cold, unless the wind is also blowing. I remember last winter, after a cold spell, when I took my garbage out. It was -12C and I didn't even bother putting a coat on. It felt wonderful outside, and I joked to a neighbor that only in Canada would people be outside in shirt sleeves in -12C and smile and say it's a nice day.

I realize that the above sounds inconsistent. But it's all relative, depending on the wind and humidity, and what kind of weather one has had recently.

 

[bhsup]

Yeah Valka. I think I need to move to Yellowknife or White Horse or something. It's just too darned hot around here for my liking

 

[LucyDuke]

There goes the thread.

Hey everyone, I think it's cold when it's below 50F/10C.

 

[peter grimes]

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.

Most of the stock fasteners I have is for repairing / improving existing things. If the US were to switch to Metric, I'd have to upgrade my stock. I would still have the older stuff laying around, sure - but I'd need to lay out quite a lot in up-front hardware. As it is I only have a very slim amount of metric stuff on hand (mostly to deal with higher-end Italian furniture stuff).

But let's remember: I voted to switch to metric.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

The Metric system is the bane of my existence.

It is the penultimate evil.

It positively, absolutely, must, must, must, MUST be banned.

What is the ultimate evil?

We should take a very measured approach to any conversion.

I love you.

 

[Penguinraider]

Worst jobs in Science:
1. FLATUS ODOR JUDGE
2. DYSENTERY STOOL-SAMPLE ANALYZER
3. BARNYARD MASTURBATOR
4. BRAZIL MOSQUITO RESEARCHER
5. HOT-ZONE SUPERINTENDENT
6. ISOLATION CHAMBER TESTER
7. FISTULA FEEDER
8. PRISON RAPE RESEARCHER
9. CARCASS CLEANER
10. POSTDOC
11. METRIC SYSTEM ADVOCATE
12. CORPSE-FLOWER GROWER

 

[squall78]

1. FLATUS ODOR JUDGE

..... this warrants an explanation. why would anyone need to do this?

 

[Silurian]

Most of the stock fasteners I have is for repairing / improving existing things. If the US were to switch to Metric, I'd have to upgrade my stock. I would still have the older stuff laying around, sure - but I'd need to lay out quite a lot in up-front hardware. As it is I only have a very slim amount of metric stuff on hand (mostly to deal with higher-end Italian furniture stuff).

But let's remember: I voted to switch to metric.

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...

I do not understand.

If the US decided to switch to metric (which it should not do because it will make it more competitive) it will take place over ten or twenty years.

There will not be a law passed saying that on 1st January 2013 all non metric things will have to be scrapped.

You repair quality furniture which if made in the USA has imperial components. The owners of these will want them repaired with identical products so you will be able to carry on using imperial stock. As time goes by and manufactures switch to metric the cost of imperial products will rise as they will be specially made for repairing old items.

How long do taps and dies last before they cannot cut anymore. I assume they ware out like drill bits and do not last forever. So as time goes by you have more metric taps and dies and the imperial ones last longer before they are too blunt etc.

 

[Leoreth]

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.

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~

You guys start off with the assumption that the round Fahrenheit degrees have any special property to them. They don't.

So all you're saying is that if you convert round Fahrenheit temperatures to Celsius the resulting numbers aren't round anymore. Well, duh. The same could be said exactly vice versa.

Edit: It should be noted that I don't consider Celsius to be part of the internally consistent metric system. I also don't think that either Celsius of Fahrenheit are better than the other. There's a good argument for keeping Fahrenheit, and it's called: it doesn't matter. All those other arguments are completely unnecessary.

 

[civver_764]

Yes of course. As someone who moved from the US to a metric country, it takes maybe 2 weeks to reorient yourself, people make way too big a deal about it.

 

[Quackers]

Would you support using the government to enforce a change?

 

[mangxema]

You guys start off with the assumption that the round Fahrenheit degrees have any special property to them. They don't.

So all you're saying is that if you convert round Fahrenheit temperatures to Celsius the resulting numbers aren't round anymore. Well, duh. The same could be said exactly vice versa.

No, he's not saying anything about rounding. What he's saying is that in his arbitrary system, the integer step has some personally ideal resolution for the application of HVAC systems. If the steps were wider (e.g., as in Celsius) then he would 'miss' that in-between value that he could have gotten to with an integer-limited Fahrenheit system.

 

[Silurian]

No, he's not saying anything about rounding. What he's saying is that in his arbitrary system, the integer step has some personally ideal resolution for the application of HVAC systems. If the steps were wider (e.g., as in Celsius) then he would 'miss' that in-between value that he could have gotten to with an integer-limited Fahrenheit system.

but controls are available with 0.2C resolution which is even better than 1F resolution for fine tuning temperature

 

[LucyDuke]

Would you support using the government to enforce a change?

Cause it's the only way to get dumb people to do it. Plus for better or for worse they run most of the schools.

 

[Smellincoffee]

I could never understand American Football. And despite the fact that I own several baseball bats I have no clue how to actually play baseball I could never figure out the rules by just watching the game and too lazy to read it up

Basketball is teh win, though.

Pitcher throws the ball, you try to hit it. If you hit it, you run the bases in order until someone catches the ball. If they catch the ball, or you miss three times trying to hit the ball, you're out. If you get out three times, you pitch and they try to hit. Those are the basics.

American football is still gibberish to me despite growing up in the South where it, not Christianity, is the dominant religion in the fall. I don't get the "downs" system in the least.



I already voted in this thread, but to stay on-topic: when I look up the morning weather, I look it up twice. Once in Fahrenheit, once in Celsius...just to acclimate myself to what different weather feels like on the two scales.

 

[GhostWriter16]

American football is still gibberish to me despite growing up in the South where it, not Christianity, is the dominant religion in the fall. I don't get the "downs" system in the least.

Easy, the center gives the ball to the Quarterback to start the play. If the player with the ball (The Quarterback, or whoever he gives it to) is tackled, the "Down" (Play) is over, and the center gives it to the Quarterback again. If you can't get the ball to advance 10 yards (By running with it or throwing it to a teammate) in 4 plays (Downs) the other team gets the ball. If you get 10 yards in 4 plays, its a new "First down" and it resets.