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why is the US not Metric

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tooki:
bsfeechannel, you literally have zero self awareness about how dumb you’re making yourself look, don’t you?

Whether it’s because you’re trolling and think it’s funny, or because you genuinely believe that metric is inherently cheaper (it’s not; it’s only cheaper where economies of scale and standardization matter, and contrary to your beliefs, they don’t always matter!), you’re actually just making yourself look stupid.

Not to mention the cognitive dissonance in believing that other countries are fully metric. As I and others have explained repeatedly, there is literally no place on earth that is fully metric.

bsfeechannel:

--- Quote from: tooki on November 23, 2019, 02:45:10 pm ---(it’s only cheaper where economies of scale and standardization matter, and contrary to your beliefs, they don’t always matter!)
--- End quote ---

And where, in the modern world, economy of scale and standardization don't matter? I presume you understand we've been talking about formal measurements.


--- Quote ---Not to mention the cognitive dissonance in believing that other countries are fully metric. As I and others have explained repeatedly, there is literally no place on earth that is fully metric.
--- End quote ---

Your assertion is corroborated by USMA, the US Metric Association:

"Metric is used predominantly in the rest of the world, with the US being the only major holdout."

It's not a zero-self-awareness dumb that's saying that. It's a US-based institution.

So the US works daily to disrupt the desire of the whole world to have just one system of units, accuses the world of not being fully metric, without mentioning that the US themselves are precisely the root cause of that evil, and then claim to be metric because the inch is based on the meter.

Gimme a break!

Who are you trying to fool?

I may be dumb. But not that dumb.

KL27x:

--- Quote ---Your assertion is corroborated by USMA, the US Metric Association:

"Metric is used predominantly in the rest of the world, with the US being the only major holdout."

It's not a zero-self-awareness dumb that's saying that. It's a US-based institution.
--- End quote ---

A US-based "institution?" The Flat Earth Society is a US-based institution, too.



For a bit, here, I thought we were discovering a cult. That was so exciting. But it looks, now, like everyone has recovered from momentary lapses in judgment. Well almost everyone.

bsfeechannel, you said all this stuff.

In case you forgot.


--- Quote from: bsfeechannel on November 23, 2019, 02:27:22 pm ---And here's where you die (metaphorically speaking, of course). There's no such thing as "metric where it is important", or "metric where it makes sense".
Metric is important and makes sense EVERYWHERE. It was designed with that goal in mind.

--- End quote ---

--- Quote ---Metric has just one unit: the supreme METER
--- End quote ---

--- Quote ---So the US works daily to disrupt the desire of the whole world to have just one system of units, accuses the world of not being fully metric, without mentioning that the US themselves are precisely the root cause of that evil, and then claim to be metric because the inch is based on the meter.
--- End quote ---

--- Quote ---The US haven't [fully converted]. We can see by the replies in this forum that people are still attached to imperial units and won't let go of them.
--- End quote ---

--- Quote --- If you were really willing to convert to metric, you would have already put a plan into action decades ago to gradually convert those signs.
--- End quote ---

--- Quote ---The cost of switching to metric is in fact marginal. And the benefits enormous. If that weren't true, the world wouldn't have taken the plunge.
--- End quote ---

--- Quote ---So you drive a motorized vehicle along a road and you think you're not doing engineering.
--- End quote ---

--- Quote ---Those who don't get it are our beloved Jack and Jenny. The benefits of metrication for them are diluted and a technical explanation incomprehensible. They don't understand that their customary way of doing things is a hurdle to progress.
--- End quote ---

Zero999:
Changing the road signs to metric would be a stupid waste of money. Most cars have both miles/h and km/h on the speedo and changing a digital display is just a line of code.

How much metric is taught in school over in the US? In the UK it's all metric. I can't remember learning any imperial and this was in 1990s, so not that recently. I learned how to convert between the two systems, when I started work.

KL27x:
Other than geography and history, pretty much 100% of our education is in metric. Honestly, every single "look, in metric this is easier because..." example that has been mentioned in this thread is explicitly demonstrated in a classroom, thoroughly explained (I want to say somewhere around 5th to 8th grade?), and then the students USE all this stuff for all their coursework for the rest of their academic life. So to everyone who thinks they're a special snowflake for realizing the conveniences of metric? I bet most of your countrymen under the age of 90 also learned these things in your schools. So you're not that special.

But after they graduate, Americans go into the real world. And our construction industry is imperial. This drives the tool market. E.g., even though our tape measures have both, TBH, inches is always marked more prominently. To this day, I have never seen metric drill bit set in a store or online, even. Other than my tiny PCB drills. The construction industry uses the tools that make their life easier, and this is what Jack and Jenny get to choose from.

So Americans adapt and are for the most part completely comfortable with either system. It's not like I feel metric "taints" imperial or vice versa. I see both as a man-made arbitrary constructs, and I use the one that works best. While driving on our roads, mph seems about right for some strange reason. Maybe some of you can explain that one. :) While fabricating stuff, I use imperial cuz my tools for this are slightly better/easier in imperial, IMO. I mean, I know how to make a 1M solution of salt by using the atomic weight, Avagadro's number, and weighing out the grams into a 1L flask before filling with water to the line. But I don't actually do that very often, so I don't lose any sleep if my measuring cup is literally a cup. And I have no problem to convert that same recipe to any size in any unit. Or I could calculate "Pedro's Number," which will produce the weight of a mole in grains or ounces. Or I could calculate "JoeBob's Number," which, multiplied by the atomic weight, will give the lbs per barrel, for mixing up barrels of molar-concentrated solutions.

Internal Calibration:
I would say I primarily "capture" or estimate distance in imperial, due to my environment. You don't learn that in a classroom by reading and doing abstract problems on paper. You get become calibrated when you start to do things in the real world and actually have to measure and cut and deal with resulting accuracy.
Weight? I dunno. Pounds mostly, but for light things w/e. Grams, usually. Grains for lighter stuff (yeah, I have reloaded ammo). To me metric ton vs imperial ton? Honestly, I will look it up if/when I need to know. I'm not sure if a ton is 1000 lb or 2000lb?

Volume? Equally comfortable with gallons or liters or cups.

You metric guys listing furlongs and tower oz and whatnots, ad infinitum? You guys seem to know more antiquated and stupid imperial units than we do. We Jacks and Jennys use the basics.


If you wanted Americans to LOOK like we're metric just like Canada, then we would have to change road signs and legal stuff and to make some international announcement. Documents. Media/news. That's gigantic mess for the next 80 years.

If you wanted Americans to think in metric and are upset about tools/fasteners, then I would focus on the construction industry and media/news. That is a much more manageable problem, I think. But still expensive.

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