Should America go metric?

[Sunseeker]

But don't ask me how long a mile is, never had to learn that. Doesn't stop me from using the word!

5280 feet. Or: 1.60934km or 1609.34m

Europeans have to learn 3 languages on average but not two measurement systems. Maybe that's why Americans suck in math and science.

[Deleted]

I think it would be one hell of an undertaking for a country the size of America to adopt the metric system. I live in the UK and we still run with both metric and imperial weights and measures, even though we were supposedly changing over in the 70's.

[Deleted]

The worst is all the tons, short ton, long ton and "real" ton.

[Kurioxan]

On the topic of temperature - I use Kelvin; it is the better system.

no... its not. Its fine to use it on the lab for chemistry but it has no actual use in real life, nothing is anywhere near absolute zero.
Also kelvin is Celsius, same thing, just starts at "real" zero instead of freezing point of water (at standardized conditions) we live on planet earth, not deep space far away from any star.

And yes they should, also US does HAVE metric system, it is simply soft metric instead of hard metric, they are doing the conversion to metric at a really inefficient and slow pace.

On a label you will read 1 POUND (453g) or 2.2 pounds (1kg), where it should read 1kg (2.2pounds) to help the conversion process.

[Gamdwelf]

I already told that it crashes spacecrafts to use different metrics

not if they jsut went all imperal system then it wouldnt have crashed.

[Kurioxan]

not if they jsut went all imperal system then it wouldnt have crashed.

There is a reason why all institutions that require cooperation, specially international, will use metric.
It avoids confusion.

it is true what you say, if it were all in imperial it would have been fine, but the problem arises when its not.
Considering its the only country that uses it (there was 1 more if i recall?) as the main system, one has to wonder why they havent changed yet.
Also, metric IS more intuitive, specially on situations where it makes a difference to make an easier system, such as scientific areas.

[Gamdwelf]

There is a reason why all institutions that require cooperation, specially international, will use metric.
It avoids confusion.

it is true what you say, if it were all in imperial it would have been fine, but the problem arises when its not.
Considering its the only country that uses it (there was 1 more if i recall?) as the main system, one has to wonder why they havent changed yet.
Also, metric IS more intuitive, specially on situations where it makes a difference to make an easier system, such as scientific areas.

US, UK, Belize, Liberia, Bahamas, Myanmar, and probably others. It is already in use for any science applications though.

[sheffield]

yes, god yes.. for the love of god

my job entails me to deal with everything in metric units, so i'm already used to it..

also, what i never understood and what's interesting is the world adheres to US customary units for cargo containerization (TEU/FEU)

for me personally, the only thing that would take some getting used to is Fº/Cº

[Catta]

US, UK, Belize, Liberia, Bahamas, Myanmar, and probably others. It is already in use for any science applications though.

Only 3 countries officially uses it and even within the US the scientific community uses metric. So one would expect a space craft to calculate using metric.

[Sunseeker]

Considering its the only country that uses it (there was 1 more if i recall?) as the main system, one has to wonder why they havent changed yet.

Explain how you would change:
All the schools in the country.
All the books Imperial is used in.
All the road-signs.
All the cars.

Without it costing billions of dollars?

[Mayhem]

Explain how you would change:
All the schools in the country.
All the books Imperial is used in.
All the road-signs.
All the cars.

Without it costing billions of dollars?

i´d say, ask the european union, they did it with money, can´t be that much of a difference

[Sunseeker]

i´d say, ask the european union, they did it with money, can´t be that much of a difference

Except that most of Europe has been using metric for a very long time.

And the only thing the EU really knows how to do is borrow money.

[Reeve]

Explain how you would change:
All the schools in the country.
All the books Imperial is used in.
All the road-signs.
All the cars.

Without it costing billions of dollars?

You'd just grandfather it in. None of the old stuff would change at all (it's not like pounds and inches suddenly fail to measure things as people begin thinking in metric more), but everything new that was developed would have both for a period of time, then eventually everything new would just be metric. Boom, you just changed over 40 years or so without it costing a significant amount of money.

[bbr]

Absolutely,. its a ridiculous system.
The english invented it,. and it's still in use there,. most daft system ever.

[Masark]

And the only thing the EU really knows how to do is borrow money.

As opposed to the USA who haven't had a balanced budget in 55 years.

[Sunseeker]

You'd just grandfather it in. None of the old stuff would change at all (it's not like pounds and inches suddenly fail to measure things as people begin thinking in metric more), but everything new that was developed would have both for a period of time, then eventually everything new would just be metric. Boom, you just changed over 40 years or so without it costing a significant amount of money.

You'd still have to replace all the existing signage, which is not guaranteed to be replaced every 40 years.

[Gamdwelf]

i´d say, ask the european union, they did it with money, can´t be that much of a difference

Oh and look what happened to that economy lol

[Sunseeker]

As opposed to the USA who haven't had a balanced budget in 55 years.

Sure, but we're really good at it.

[Reeve]

You'd still have to replace all the existing signage, which is not guaranteed to be replaced every 40 years.

The vast majority of that signage would be replaced by that time. I don't know many signs that last 40 years, do you? In the rare case that a sign isn't replaced in that time period, we can suck up the small budgetary blip of changing them. It's not a billions of dollars thing.

[Gamdwelf]

The vast majority of that signage would be replaced by that time. I don't know many signs that last 40 years, do you? In the rare case that a sign isn't replaced in that time period, we can suck up the small budgetary blip of changing them. It's not a billions of dollars thing.

I still don't see any point in changing the signage, like who cares if we use miles.