3 ms·

The total cost to switch has gotta be in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Has anybody done such a calculation?

oblio 11y ago
What's the total cost of not switching? I'm willing to bet it's in the tens of billions each year. All your major trade partners use the metric system: EU, China, India, Australia.
ohitsdom 11y ago
Thing is, we use both systems now. What huge cost is involved by saying "Starting in 2020, the metric system will be the official unit of measurement in the US." Manufacturing companies can switch as soon as they want to. Most consumers' toolsets already have both systems (wrenches, sockets, etc).
peterfirefly 11y ago
"Metrication Matters" (Google TechTalk from 2007) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgtsSM7vN0M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgtsSM7vN0M It starts a bit slow but stick with it. I'm currently rewatching it after several years so I'm not sure there is a calculation. I think there is. A lot of the production in the US already is metric so it shouldn't be that expensive. Remember that everybody else also had to change their (many) measuring systems over to metric. It went remarkably well.
kstrauser 11y ago
My estimate is "approximately zero". For example, people talk about the cost of converting road signs as though we have pick a Tuesday in March and switch the entire country that afternoon. How about we adopt a policy like "when we install new signs or replace old ones as routine maintenance, we make them metric - and here's a conversion chart so we're all using the same mile-to-km rounding."
- peterfirefly 11y ago
  The Australian experience (as told in the "Metrication Matters" video) was that a "direct metrication" where everybody switches at the same time and doesn't try to maintain two systems at the same time is fast (about a year) and cheap (often saving money). Road signs can be prepared in advance and covered. The covers can be removed quickly. Another option is to put stickers on the road signs on Metric Sunday.
- fletchowns 11y ago
  > My estimate is "approximately zero" You do realize there is more to switching to metric than just updating the road signs, right? Think of all the military and space technology that uses inches.

oblio 11y ago

What's the total cost of not switching? I'm willing to bet it's in the tens of billions each year. All your major trade partners use the metric system: EU, China, India, Australia.

ohitsdom 11y ago

Thing is, we use both systems now. What huge cost is involved by saying "Starting in 2020, the metric system will be the official unit of measurement in the US." Manufacturing companies can switch as soon as they want to. Most consumers' toolsets already have both systems (wrenches, sockets, etc).

peterfirefly 11y ago

"Metrication Matters" (Google TechTalk from 2007) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgtsSM7vN0M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgtsSM7vN0M It starts a bit slow but stick with it. I'm currently rewatching it after several years so I'm not sure there is a calculation. I think there is. A lot of the production in the US already is metric so it shouldn't be that expensive. Remember that everybody else also had to change their (many) measuring systems over to metric. It went remarkably well.

kstrauser 11y ago

My estimate is "approximately zero". For example, people talk about the cost of converting road signs as though we have pick a Tuesday in March and switch the entire country that afternoon. How about we adopt a policy like "when we install new signs or replace old ones as routine maintenance, we make them metric - and here's a conversion chart so we're all using the same mile-to-km rounding."

peterfirefly 11y ago
The Australian experience (as told in the "Metrication Matters" video) was that a "direct metrication" where everybody switches at the same time and doesn't try to maintain two systems at the same time is fast (about a year) and cheap (often saving money). Road signs can be prepared in advance and covered. The covers can be removed quickly. Another option is to put stickers on the road signs on Metric Sunday.
fletchowns 11y ago
> My estimate is "approximately zero" You do realize there is more to switching to metric than just updating the road signs, right? Think of all the military and space technology that uses inches.