That was a strange three days.When I was known as Little Reaver back in the late seventies, the government tried to get the USA to switch over to the metric system.
That was a strange three days.When I was known as Little Reaver back in the late seventies, the government tried to get the USA to switch over to the metric system.
It'd have to be slow and it would take years and cost u told amounts of money and what would it benefit.
Oh great now I have to change my position because I'm an extremely petty revolutionary. Go metric system instant change right now!!We, too, could measure temperature down to the decimal and count out up to ten tiny millimeters every time we use the tape measure. That would be the benefit of an expense measured in the hundreds of billions of dollars.
Using 12 inches to a foot:
1/2 foot = 6 inches.
1/3 foot = 4 inches.
1/4 foot = 3 inches
1/5 foot = 2.4 inches (can't win them all)
1/6 foot = 2 inches
Meanwhile:
1/2 meter = 50 centimeters
1/3 meter = 33.333 centimeters
1/4 meter = 25 centimeters
1/5 meter = 20 centimeters
1/6 meter = 16.667 centimeters
If you're looking at a third of a unit, would you rather count up to 33.33 or to 4?
I mean, the metric system is great, especially for scientific areas. But the imperial system isn't always as bad as it's made out to be. And contrary to popular belief, the metric system is taught in schools and used regularly in the US in all the places that it actually matters. There really isn't a benefit to the cost of switching out all the tools and machinery and signage that really doesn't make a difference.
We, too, could measure temperature down to the decimal and count out up to ten tiny millimeters every time we use the tape measure. That would be the benefit of an expense measured in the hundreds of billions of dollars.
Using 12 inches to a foot:
1/2 foot = 6 inches.
1/3 foot = 4 inches.
1/4 foot = 3 inches
1/5 foot = 2.4 inches (can't win them all)
1/6 foot = 2 inches
Meanwhile:
1/2 meter = 50 centimeters
1/3 meter = 33.333 centimeters
1/4 meter = 25 centimeters
1/5 meter = 20 centimeters
1/6 meter = 16.667 centimeters
If you're looking at a third of a unit, would you rather count up to 33.33 or to 4?
I mean, the metric system is great, especially for scientific areas. But the imperial system isn't always as bad as it's made out to be. And contrary to popular belief, the metric system is taught in schools and used regularly in the US in all the places that it actually matters. There really isn't a benefit to the cost of switching out all the tools and machinery and signage that really doesn't make a difference.
But think of the 20 years of Boom as they get to sell us all our tools again...Going full metric would put the automotive tool makers out of business...eventually.
I have assorted sockets and wrenches in both English and Metric denominations. Gets to be a pain sometimes...is that a 10 millimeter or a 3/8ths? At least some of the time its a mix. I have rulers marked in both millimeters and inches. Likewise, I note that a lot of the stuff I buy at the grocery store gives both ounces and grams.
While your overarching point is fair, the criticism that a system based on decimals doesn't work as well with fractions using thirds is kind of silly because, well, the system is designed to use decimals. The imperial system is designed to use fractions, mostly in multiples of 2s and 3s. I could make the same critique about the foot using 1/7 of a foot, which is what, 1.71 inches? Doesn't seem so good now. And you would counter, rightly so, that you would never be in a position where you would need to use sevenths of a foot, which is the exact same argument I make about the thirds. Notice how clean the fifth was in metric compared to imperial? It's because, if you converted decimal to fraction, they would be multiples of 2s and 5s instead.
Oh great now I have to change my position because I'm an extremely petty revolutionary. Go metric system instant change right now!!
I also think bacon is delicious.
I also think bacon is delicious.
Just discovered that Word does NOT put the red squiggly line under the word 'thingamajig'.