Should the U.S., Myanmar and Liberia be encouraged to go metric?
Jan 22, 2009 at 7:32 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 116

milkweg

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Get with the program dudes.
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Metric system - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

According to the US CIA World Factbook in 2006, the International System of Units is the primary or sole system of measurement for all nations except for Myanmar, Liberia and the United States.[1]
 
Jan 22, 2009 at 7:53 PM Post #5 of 116
probably nearly impossible to make the change now

i remember hearing that they tried to initiate the change, starting with some speed limit signs somewhere remote. all it did was confuse the crap out of the locals, who ended up driving way too fast

frankly, it's not that big of a deal. anyone in any business that needs to use SI units already does. Everyone from chemists to bakers/pastry chefs, who need to use the systems, already have a feel for them.

the only real reason to make the change is so that we could understand weather reports abroad, without doing any calculations
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Jan 22, 2009 at 7:58 PM Post #6 of 116
I don't believe in force, but it sure would be nice if we all used a common metric system.
 
Jan 22, 2009 at 8:33 PM Post #8 of 116
Yes, of course we should use the metric system. Good luck with that forcing thing though.
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Jan 22, 2009 at 8:42 PM Post #11 of 116
You would get along a lot better if you did go metric. Metric is easy to learn. Are you aware that congress never did vote to use your current measurement system and officially you are supposed to be metric? That's what I read on wikipedia anyway.
 
Jan 22, 2009 at 8:46 PM Post #12 of 116
metric does make things easier,

and yeah anything science will already be using it

uk is the worst, switch between them all the time

i use mph for car speed
kg and stone lbs for my weight
mm for small distances,
miles for road journeys
metres for massive distances
my height, feet inches
mountains/buildings metres
temperature degrees C

what a mess!
 
Jan 22, 2009 at 8:46 PM Post #13 of 116
It's not that difficult...

I started having forecastfox displaying temperatures in the metric system mid-2008. Now it's just natural for me to smile a bit when it's 0* and cringe at -10*, instead of 32* and 10*. You might feel the need to go and compare every now and again, but eventually you stop caring what temperature in Fahrenheit degrees centigrade is and adapt. You do the same with distance, volume and velocity.

You have to stop thinking of what something is in a scale very few people use and just think of in terms of one scale. Meaning, don't look at something and think it's 25' from you and then try to convert it to metres, or look at something and say it's 12 metres from you and then convert to feet..just know your distances in metres, your speed in km/h, volume in litres etc.

It's stubborness on a national scale is all.
 
Jan 22, 2009 at 9:06 PM Post #14 of 116
Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon G. /img/forum/go_quote.gif
It's stubborness on a national scale is all.


I agree. Americans need to wake up and realize that we can no longer be stuck within our own shell.
 
Jan 22, 2009 at 9:07 PM Post #15 of 116
Metric system is more scientific and established as standard measurement system.

There are some problems in engineering and other industrial aspects between U.S.A and nations using Metric system.
 

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