Should the US Adopt the Metric System?

[Joel]

I just find it humorous that people would feel strongly about what units of measurement other people ought to think in terms of. Use whatever units you want. Let others use whatever units they want. When you need to work together on some project, discuss and come to some agreement. Or part ways if you and they are so stubborn you can't come to agreement.

The big problem is that science is done in the metric system. Continually converting from USCS to SI (Systeme Internationale -- the proper name for the "metric" systerm) and SI to USCS is confusing and a distraction to learning.

I have an engineering degree. I don't care what units people use. Science can be "done" in any units. And you can use different units in different cases, depending on what is most convenient. Even when "doing science", e.g. meters vs lightyears vs astronomical units (AU), or grams vs electron mass, coulomb vs electron charge, joule vs electronvolt. Insisting on one unit ever is silly, and that's not how "science is done".

Though when collaborating on a project, yes, of course, you need to agree on and stick to a convention, or disaster could result.


Also if you want to be strict with SI units, then you should stop referring to such things as minutes and hours, and only speak in terms of seconds, kiloseconds, etc.

"I'll meet you there in 4 kiloseconds."

Q: How old are you?
A: 900 megaseconds. I turned 900Ms just last megasecond.


Also you should use only radians, and never degrees.

[klaus54]

Here's an interesting fact sheet showing problems with the conversion, and turning them into math word problems. Great idea! Deals with the loss of the Mars Orbiter, a problem with a Disney ride in Tokyo, and an Air Canada flight that ran out of fuel due to conversion errors.

Cool beans.

It's interesting that a NASA site would still use the incorrect term "English" instead of the proper name the U.S. Customary System.

The main thing holding up a U.S. switch to the SI is the false notion that every quantity needs to be converted. Adults with at least two functioning neurons - Just take a week and learn the darned SI, and how its units are applied in the real world. If taught from kindergarten on up, it would never be a problem.

And the SI units have been to be (most of the time -- Pascals being one exception) close in size to USCS units.

km is about 60% of a mile
Hectare is about 2.5 acres
...

[klaus54]

I just find it humorous that people would feel strongly about what units of measurement other people ought to think in terms of. Use whatever units you want. Let others use whatever units they want. When you need to work together on some project, discuss and come to some agreement. Or part ways if you and they are so stubborn you can't come to agreement.


I have an engineering degree. I don't care what units people use. Science can be "done" in any units. And you can use different units in different cases, depending on what is most convenient. Even when "doing science", e.g. meters vs lightyears vs astronomical units (AU), or grams vs electron mass, coulomb vs electron charge, joule vs electronvolt. Insisting on one unit ever is silly, and that's not how "science is done".

Though when collaborating on a project, yes, of course, you need to agree on and stick to a convention, or disaster could result.


Also if you want to be strict with SI units, then you should stop referring to such things as minutes and hours, and only speak in terms of seconds, kiloseconds, etc.

"I'll meet you there in 4 kiloseconds."

Q: How old are you?
A: 900 megaseconds. I turned 900Ms just last megasecond.


Also you should use only radians, and never degrees.

Well, you SHOULD care.

Is this some Libertarian 'merica first type deal with you?

[klaus54]

I just find it humorous that people would feel strongly about what units of measurement other people ought to think in terms of. Use whatever units you want. Let others use whatever units they want. When you need to work together on some project, discuss and come to some agreement. Or part ways if you and they are so stubborn you can't come to agreement.


I have an engineering degree. I don't care what units people use. Science can be "done" in any units. And you can use different units in different cases, depending on what is most convenient. Even when "doing science", e.g. meters vs lightyears vs astronomical units (AU), or grams vs electron mass, coulomb vs electron charge, joule vs electronvolt. Insisting on one unit ever is silly, and that's not how "science is done".

Though when collaborating on a project, yes, of course, you need to agree on and stick to a convention, or disaster could result.


Also if you want to be strict with SI units, then you should stop referring to such things as minutes and hours, and only speak in terms of seconds, kiloseconds, etc.

"I'll meet you there in 4 kiloseconds."

Q: How old are you?
A: 900 megaseconds. I turned 900Ms just last megasecond.


Also you should use only radians, and never degrees.

I know you're just funnin', but no nation that uses the SI is this stupid.

Of course scientists and ENGINEERS should have problem with microseconds. etc.

[Teallaura]

We need a mandatory standard because scientists and engineers are too stupid to pick up a phone and ask what units the other guys are using? Thaw the danged chicken already.

[klaus54]

We need a mandatory standard because scientists and engineers are too stupid to pick up a phone and ask what units the other guys are using? Thaw the danged chicken already.

Recalcitrant stubborn Ludditeism.

And you mean that !{scientists, engineers} is the set of stupid ones. (! is set complement).

Hey, Teal -- hate to break it to you but your electric bill uses the SI.

one Watt = one Joule/second.

[stfoskey15]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]9272[/ATTACH]

Only 33% of countries that don't use the metric system have been to the Moon. The other 67% either have a military dictatorship or an Ebola epidemic.

[Teallaura]

Recalcitrant stubborn Ludditeism.

And you mean that !{scientists, engineers} is the set of stupid ones. (! is set complement).

Hey, Teal -- hate to break it to you but your electric bill uses the SI.

one Watt = one Joule/second.

So what? I wasn't the one that didn't bother to check with the Russians before putting in the part.

If scientists want to use metric, go for it. Why play fascists and force everyone else to needlessly convert? Seriously, why even care how DOT measures between cities unless you happen to be studying mileage in which case learn arithmetic already.

The real reason is that scientists, like mathematicians, can't do arithmetic.

[Sparko]

I just find it humorous that people would feel strongly about what units of measurement other people ought to think in terms of. Use whatever units you want. Let others use whatever units they want. When you need to work together on some project, discuss and come to some agreement. Or part ways if you and they are so stubborn you can't come to agreement.


I have an engineering degree. I don't care what units people use. Science can be "done" in any units. And you can use different units in different cases, depending on what is most convenient. Even when "doing science", e.g. meters vs lightyears vs astronomical units (AU), or grams vs electron mass, coulomb vs electron charge, joule vs electronvolt. Insisting on one unit ever is silly, and that's not how "science is done".

Though when collaborating on a project, yes, of course, you need to agree on and stick to a convention, or disaster could result.


Also if you want to be strict with SI units, then you should stop referring to such things as minutes and hours, and only speak in terms of seconds, kiloseconds, etc.

"I'll meet you there in 4 kiloseconds."

Q: How old are you?
A: 900 megaseconds. I turned 900Ms just last megasecond.


Also you should use only radians, and never degrees.

WE can't use "seconds" - We need a new unit of time, which we will call the "Chron" so you will have chrons, kilochrons, megachrons, microchrons, etc.

[klaus54]

So what? I wasn't the one that didn't bother to check with the Russians before putting in the part.

If scientists want to use metric, go for it. Why play fascists and force everyone else to needlessly convert? Seriously, why even care how DOT measures between cities unless you happen to be studying mileage in which case learn arithmetic already.

The real reason is that scientists, like mathematicians, can't do arithmetic.

The arithmetic is the same.

Oh, and check your speedometer.

P.S. "Metric" is EASY.

Edited: God has blessed America, I believe it, America uses the USCS, end of story.

BTW, do you prefer Troy or Avoirdupois?

[Cow Poke]

The arithmetic is the same.

No, metric is easier - you just slide the decimal point back and forth.

[Teallaura]

The arithmetic is the same. I

Oh, and check your speedometer.

P.S. "Metric" is EASY.

Edited: God has blessed America, I believe it, America uses the USCS, end of story.

BTW, do you prefer Troy or Avoirdupois?

lf the arithmetic is the same then why is metric easier? Centimeter is somehow easier to spell than inch, perhaps?

You just don't know your twos table, do you?

You just shot down metrics .best selling point.

Use whatever you like. Just let the rest of us do the same. Of course that hasn't exactly worked to metrics advantage'. Maybe if you keep yelling at people about it we will want to try it....

Probably not ..

[Cow Poke]

lf the arithmetic is the same then why is metric easier? Centimeter is somehow easier to spell than inch, perhaps?

You just don't know your twos table, do you?

You just shot down metrics .best selling point.

Use whatever you like. Just let the rest of us do the same. Of course that hasn't exactly worked to metrics advantage'. Maybe if you keep yelling at people about it we will want to try it....

Probably not ..

Imagine football commentary... how does "the offensive tackle is 6'4" and 300 lbs" translate..... "the offensive tackle is 193 cm and 140 kg"?

[Teallaura]

No, metric is easier - you just slide the decimal point back and forth.

Yeah, not sure what he was thinking with that one.

[One Bad Pig]

Imagine football commentary... how does "the offensive tackle is 6'4" and 300 lbs" translate..... "the offensive tackle is 193 cm and 140 kg"?

It would take some getting used to. Transitioning would be a massive headache. People tend to not like change, and this would cause change all over the place.