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The United States of America is the only industrialized country in the world that hasn't adopted the metric system, do you feel that we should convert from our standard system to the metric system like the rest of the developed world?

On one hand, the metric system is much easier in the fact that there is no memorizing random numbers for measurement (16 oz in a pound, 12 inches in a foot, etc) because everything is based around 10. I bet many people here couldn't say how many feet are in a mile off the top of their head, and to figure out how many inches in a mile would take a bit of math. But most people know off the top of their head that there are 1000 meters or 100,000 centimeters in a kilometer. It is said that it could make international trade easier as well.

On the other hand, we've all grown accustom to having thing displayed in pounds, miles, feet, etc. Honestly if I looked at my dashboard and saw I was going 100 km per hour I wouldn't know what the hell that meant. And if I am driving on the highway and see "68 km to New York" I would be sitting there trying to figure out how that converts to miles because that's what I'm used to thinking with. What do you guys think?

Nah! Think about all those Sandwich places that have long foot subs! They'll go outta business.

Im kinda use to us measuring units so my answer is no.

Oh god I never thought about that... damn. There always has to be a victim.

yes yes yes yes.

Yes, I'm so pissed at our system. I mean, I see NO reason whatsoever to have a MORE complex system?!?!

No.

As Abe Simpson once said "The Metric System is the tool of the Devil!"

agreed

No, I've gotten to used to the system we have.

At this point, it would take less work to stay the way we are. It would make more sense, from a global stand point. Just think about how many people would no longer know how to communicate this information if we were to change the rules now.

ohhh global stand point

Well I'm used to the standard system too.. but I would think if all of Europe could change their currency we could change our measurement system. I mean we already use it to a certain extent.. it's not like we are completely unfamiliar with it. I would think from a global stand point it would be better for us to convert, but for Americans who are already used to a system it would be easier not to.

Yes, global moron. As in "THE REST OF THE GLOBE USES THE METRIC SYSTEM,THERE BY MAKING TRADE THAT MUCH EASIER"

Look, I avoid you...try repaying the favor. Unless you have something intelligent to say...

Oh.. I thought you were saying it'd be better from a global stand point not to convert.. my bad.

Just add me to your ignore list. I love it when somebody does that

All of Europe? Your forgetting Switzerland, Sweden, G.B., and half of the other counrties that have not changed to the euro. Few have.

Getting back to the point, Do I think it would be a good idea? Yes, of course. Will it happen? No. Least, not while people like Bush are in office. The easiet way to do stuff like this is start teaching it to the younger kids. Then, when their generation controls the country, we'd all be going by the same system.

Well I knew Britain didn't switch but I was under the impression that most of Europe did.. maybe I was wrong. And they do teach the metric system in science classes already so by the time you pass high school everyone is at least familiar with it. Although I agree if you were to switch they would have to teach it from an early age.. they are still going to have to suddenly switch if we were to convert.. it would have to happen basically over night. You couldn't have us measuring weight in standard but distance in metric or vice versa.

Should the US switch to Metric?
Yes, Makes much more sence in a global economy. And it would have to be gradual, You wouldn't look at a road sign one day and see 65KM to New York as Afro Cheese said, it would take a while.

Will we?
No, Were arrogant bastards who are afraid of change (For the most part.)

I really have no idea on reather I disargee with this or not.JM

Well I don't see how they could do it gradually really.. I mean how do you ease into a new measurement system? Everything would have to be changed at once.. they couldn't change little bits at a time. The only way I could see them doing it gradually is just adding the metric measurement to everything. Like Have it say "30 miles or 75 km (or whatever it converts to specifically)" And then over time slowly take away the standard measurement until only the metric system remains.. kinda like weening a potty training a kid... when you first start telling them to use the toilet they have to wear diapers too for backup.

yea, doubling everything up, then switching it.

From my point of view in the UK, both imperial and metric systems have their advantages. The UK went metric in the early seventies, but it wasn't complete. The argument that the metric system is easier to use due to the 10 base system and our 10 fingers and thumbs, is only partially true. There are many other parts of our bodies that are pretty handy too, our arms are a yard, the ends of our fingers are inches and our feet are 'foots'.
I would never use the imperial system for any form of scientific work, as it is hopelessly messy to use in calculations. But in conversation, it works well for expressing distances, weights and volumes and in sizes people can relate to. For that reason, it has been used when people are involved, such as road distances (miles), liquid quantities (pints) and in weight (pounds). I still find it hard to relate to these metric quantities in Europe, having to constantly convert them to imperial. As well as the latter forcing of Liters of fuel and Kilos of food that has been introduced in this country 'recently'.

As I understand it, Americans work under this method also, Imperial for the people and metric for machines. Nasa have long since dumped the imperial system for all of their work, as have most or all American scientific institutions. So where it counts, America is an metric country already.

Also, I have been told that in America it is infact technically illegal to use imperial weights and measures, and has been since independence. With George Washington adding it to law early in his presidency.

Simple.Of course we should.

Yes, we should. And being gradual will just F things up. We should just yank all the gallons off our shelves and start with liters, etc. The only way lazy people in this country will learn is if they're forced to.

Thhe UK uses both, could try that for a while.

Originally posted by lord xyz
Thhe UK uses both, could try that for a while. US does use both, as some one has already mentioned. Medical field uses the metric system, so do Engineers, etc.

There's absolutely no reason to change over to the metric system in every day life.

I really don't see the advantage. I can do the conversions on my phone, and most people are used to it, it would be a triviality. I have trouble imagining what problem this is a solution to.

Originally posted by Ihavenoidea
From my point of view in the UK, both imperial and metric systems have their advantages. The UK went metric in the early seventies, but it wasn't complete. The argument that the metric system is easier to use due to the 10 base system and our 10 fingers and thumbs, is only partially true. There are many other parts of our bodies that are pretty handy too, our arms are a yard, the ends of our fingers are inches and our feet are 'foots'.
I would never use the imperial system for any form of scientific work, as it is hopelessly messy to use in calculations. But in conversation, it works well for expressing distances, weights and volumes and in sizes people can relate to. For that reason, it has been used when people are involved, such as road distances (miles), liquid quantities (pints) and in weight (pounds). I still find it hard to relate to these metric quantities in Europe, having to constantly convert them to imperial. As well as the latter forcing of Liters of fuel and Kilos of food that has been introduced in this country 'recently'.

As I understand it, Americans work under this method also, Imperial for the people and metric for machines. Nasa have long since dumped the imperial system for all of their work, as have most or all American scientific institutions. So where it counts, America is an metric country already.

Also, I have been told that in America it is infact technically illegal to use imperial weights and measures, and has been since independence. With George Washington adding it to law early in his presidency. QFT

Originally posted by Afro Cheese
The United States of America is the only industrialized country in the world that hasn't adopted the metric system, do you feel that we should convert from our standard system to the metric system like the rest of the developed world?

On one hand, the metric system is much easier in the fact that there is no memorizing random numbers for measurement (16 oz in a pound, 12 inches in a foot, etc) because everything is based around 10. I bet many people here couldn't say how many feet are in a mile off the top of their head, and to figure out how many inches in a mile would take a bit of math. But most people know off the top of their head that there are 1000 meters or 100,000 centimeters in a kilometer. It is said that it could make international trade easier as well.

On the other hand, we've all grown accustom to having thing displayed in pounds, miles, feet, etc. Honestly if I looked at my dashboard and saw I was going 100 km per hour I wouldn't know what the hell that meant. And if I am driving on the highway and see "68 km to New York" I would be sitting there trying to figure out how that converts to miles because that's what I'm used to thinking with. What do you guys think?

We may not be able to tell you how many inches are in a mile off of the top of our heads, but yeah, we can tell you how many ounces are in a pound. Metric system users may be able to recall certain measurements easily but Americans have a system of measurements that can be recalled easily as well which may take users of the metric system a bit of math to figure out.

As someone who works in the medical field it does seem strange that we have never adopted the metric system but it's really not a big deal. We still know our measurements or at least know how to figure them out. Figuring out measurement conversions is not nearly as difficult as say...,figuring out monotary conversions. Changing to the metric system for the single purpose of making trade easier seems very ridiculous to me. That's like an American saying that the rest of the world should change to Dollar because it would make trade easier.

It got a bit ridiculous in the UK when shopkeepers were being prosecuted for showing weighted items and lbs and oz's but it's calmed down now. The UK does reasonably well with a kind of mixed system...A lot of food while weighed in lbs and oz's is displayed in metric..So a half lb is 454g. Most milk is done in litres now although some producers still do it in pints...Street signs are in miles rather than kilometres. Even if you do get stuck all you need to remember is that a km is 6/10 of a mile and you'd be close enough.

Originally posted by Mindset
US does use both, as some one has already mentioned. Medical field uses the metric system, so do Engineers, etc.

There's absolutely no reason to change over to the metric system in every day life.

Engineers are infamous for sticking to insane units for their work.

I wouldn't oppose official metrication so long as informal use of Imperial units would still be allowed.

Phuck the metric system.

No! A phucka YOU!

Reported.

Belayed. Anti-reported.

Double reported.

Why metric? The more intuitive units of measurements are c for speed, Planck lengths for length, and so on.

Anyway, there's no need to really change it. It doesn't take a genius to convert one cubic inch to (25.4)^3 cubic millimeters. Besides. The most difficult part is the mathematical modeling which is purely mathematical, where you work with unitless measures to constructs methods to then construct reliable formulas.

Originally posted by Astner
Why metric? The more intuitive units of measurements are c for speed, Planck lengths for length, and so on.

Planck units have margins of error large enough that measurements using them would probably change considerably as we refine our estimates. Using the speed of light to measure speed in real life is moronic.

Originally posted by Astner
Why metric? The more intuitive units of measurements are c for speed, Planck lengths for length, and so on.

Anyway, there's no need to really change it. It doesn't take a genius to convert one cubic inch to (25.4)^3 cubic millimeters. Besides. The most difficult part is the mathematical modeling which is purely mathematical, where you work with unitless measures to constructs methods to then construct reliable formulas. We get it. You're a sciencer.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
Planck units have margins of error large enough that measurements using them would probably change considerably as we refine our estimates. Using the speed of light to measure speed in real life is moronic.
We should use furlongs per fortnight.

Originally posted by Lord Lucien
We get it. You're a sciencer.

http://venturefans.org/wiki/images/thumb/b/b5/Doc_venture.png/250px-Doc_venture.png

Quite possibly one of the greatest cartoon characters ever invented.

Originally posted by Astner
Why metric? The more intuitive units of measurements are c for speed, Planck lengths for length, and so on.

Anyway, there's no need to really change it. It doesn't take a genius to convert one cubic inch to (25.4)^3 cubic millimeters. Besides. The most difficult part is the mathematical modeling which is purely mathematical, where you work with unitless measures to constructs methods to then construct reliable formulas. Metric is stupid.

Case closed.

Come at me.

Originally posted by Astner
Why metric?
Originally posted by Mindset
Metric is stupid.

Now you get it.

You've learned more from me over the years than you will ever learn at a university.

I am patient, but I can't wait forever for a thank you...

Being Australian, metric is the norm & makes sense when everything is based on units of 10, 100, 1000.

I mean road signs here will state "2 kilometres" to x distance...that's simply 2000 metres.

Whereas (not being used to it) driving through California & seeing signs that read 1/4, 2/4, 3/4 miles to x was just too confusing.

Another thing I don't understand is how Americans write their dates down...

Why the month first & then the day?

I mean it's easier to remember what the month is, then sometimes forgetting what exact day it is.

Because we are gods among men.

"Feet" is the preferred term when speaking of more than one unit of the measure, iirc. But I think "foot" works well to.

Originally posted by Robtard
"Feet" is the preferred term when speaking of more than one unit of the measure, iirc.
Sounds about right.

Originally posted by Astner
Sounds about right.

You're excused due to your Swedishness.

Originally posted by Robtard
You're excused due to your Swedishness.
http://i.imgur.com/s4Z34.jpg

No metric. Let the rest of the world do it our way!

Originally posted by Astner
While it's smoother to convert metric units than imperial units, it's still a good exercise for kids to know how to convert arbitrary units left and right.



If I'm building something & it's a straight forward measurement, I don't mind using inches or feet. But if the length I'm measuring has to be more accurate then I'll switch to millimetres eg: 1255mm.

I mean, I'm up for kids to learn their basic formulas but depending on your trade, when's the last time you had to resort to algebra or bloody the pythagorus theorem?

Kilometers are the way! You Americans don't know what you're missing....stupid assholes.

Originally posted by Esau Cairn
If I'm building something & it's a straight forward measurement, I don't mind using inches or feet. But if the length I'm measuring has to be more accurate then I'll switch to millimetres eg: 1255mm.

I mean, I'm up for kids to learn their basic formulas but depending on your trade, when's the last time you had to resort to algebra or bloody the pythagorus theorem? He's an astronuclearphysintist. He uses pythagarbra every minute of every parsec.

Originally posted by Astner
While it's smoother to convert metric units than imperial units, it's still a good exercise for kids to know how to convert arbitrary units left and right. That is an incredibly stupid argument.

"It is still good for children's fine motor skills to use an abacus"

Originally posted by AmbientFire
Switch to metric and keep Imperial in the "Math History/Trivia" section. That way children learn to convert arbitrarily without being forced to use a system that is that much more cumbersome.
Then that would fall under the category of "why are we learning this?" due to its lack of direct applicability.

It's really not doing any harm. And while it would be convenient, the metric standard isn't the best either.

Originally posted by Bardock42
That is an incredibly stupid argument.

"It is still good for children's fine motor skills to use an abacus"
... which has absolutely nothing to do with my argument.

no, i don't think so

would make sense.