5 ms·

Unfortunately, this is not the reason the US isn't adopting SI.

by dtech 11y ago

k__ 11y ago
What is?
- _ak 11y ago
  American exceptionalism.
- howeyc 11y ago
  Apathy
- theandrewbailey 11y ago
  Inertia and the fact that alternatives are "good enough".
- anonymfus 11y ago
  Ronald Reagan
  - anonymfus 11y ago
    That's from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrication_in_the_United_States#20th_century https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrication_in_the_United_Stat... >In 1981, the USMB reported to Congress that it lacked the clear Congressional mandate necessary to bring about national conversion. Because of this ineffectiveness and an effort of the Reagan administration — particularly from Lyn Nofziger's efforts (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/28/AR2006032802142.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03... ) as a White House advisor to the Reagan administration, to reduce federal spending — the USMB was disbanded in the autumn of 1982. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Metric_Board https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Metric_Board >The metrification assessment board existed from 1975 to 1982, ending when President Ronald Reagan abolished it, largely on the recommendation of Frank Mankiewicz and Lyn Nofziger. Overall, it made little impact on implementing the metric system in the United States. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Mankiewicz https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Mankiewicz >According to Mankiewicz, he prompted Lyn Nofziger's efforts to halt the 1970s U.S. metrication effort, who convinced President Ronald Reagan to shut down the United States Metric Board http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/28/AR2006032802142.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03... > So, during that first year of Reagan's presidency, I sent Lyn another copy of a column I had written a few years before, attacking and satirizing the attempt by some organized do-gooders to inflict the metric system on Americans, a view of mine Lyn had enthusiastically endorsed. So, in 1981, when I reminded him that a commission actually existed to further the adoption of the metric system and the damage we both felt this could wreak on our country, Lyn went to work with material provided by each of us. He was able, he told me, to prevail on the president to dissolve the commission and make sure that, at least in the Reagan presidency, there would be no further effort to sell metric. >It was a signal victory, but one which we recognized would have to be shared only between the two of us, lest public opinion once again began to head toward metrification.
mdellabitta 11y ago
SI and metric are actually subtly different. Do any countries actually use SI rather than metric?
- germanier 11y ago
  At least the whole EU uses SI units by Directive 80/181/EEC (so called "Units of Measure Directive"). From everything I know, most other countries of the world use SI as well. Not surprising, as the system is now 55 years old and explicitly replaced former definitions. Even US laws explicitly refer to SI, for example the Metric Conversion Act of 1975: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/STATUTE-89/pdf/STATUTE-89-Pg1007.pdf http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/STATUTE-89/pdf/STATUTE-89-Pg100...
  - DanBC 11y ago
    UK uses miles on road signs, pints in pubs, etc. Many people still use stones and pounds for human weight, even if they're in a medical setting.
    - germanier 11y ago
      However, those are explicitly defined in terms of SI units for use in the UK in that directive. The question of GGP was, whether some countries use other metric systems which are not SI. I don't think such a country exists.
      - fanf2 11y ago
        The Imperial volume units used in Britain are vaguely metric, and different from the US customary (i.e. Queen Anne) units. The Imperial gallon is the volume of 10 lb avoirdupois of water at s.t.p. The other similarity to French metric units is they replaced a number of different application-specific volume measures. At about the same time as the Imperial unit reform Britain introduced the "florin" 2 shilling coin, 10 per pound, another vague attempt at decimalization.

Unfortunately, this is not the reason the US isn't adopting SI.

by dtech 11y ago

Unfortunately, this is not the reason the US isn't adopting SI.

k__ 11y ago

What is?

_ak 11y ago
American exceptionalism.
howeyc 11y ago
Apathy
theandrewbailey 11y ago
Inertia and the fact that alternatives are "good enough".
anonymfus 11y ago
Ronald Reagan
- anonymfus 11y ago
  That's from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrication_in_the_United_States#20th_century https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrication_in_the_United_Stat... >In 1981, the USMB reported to Congress that it lacked the clear Congressional mandate necessary to bring about national conversion. Because of this ineffectiveness and an effort of the Reagan administration — particularly from Lyn Nofziger's efforts (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/28/AR2006032802142.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03... ) as a White House advisor to the Reagan administration, to reduce federal spending — the USMB was disbanded in the autumn of 1982. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Metric_Board https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Metric_Board >The metrification assessment board existed from 1975 to 1982, ending when President Ronald Reagan abolished it, largely on the recommendation of Frank Mankiewicz and Lyn Nofziger. Overall, it made little impact on implementing the metric system in the United States. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Mankiewicz https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Mankiewicz >According to Mankiewicz, he prompted Lyn Nofziger's efforts to halt the 1970s U.S. metrication effort, who convinced President Ronald Reagan to shut down the United States Metric Board http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/28/AR2006032802142.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03... > So, during that first year of Reagan's presidency, I sent Lyn another copy of a column I had written a few years before, attacking and satirizing the attempt by some organized do-gooders to inflict the metric system on Americans, a view of mine Lyn had enthusiastically endorsed. So, in 1981, when I reminded him that a commission actually existed to further the adoption of the metric system and the damage we both felt this could wreak on our country, Lyn went to work with material provided by each of us. He was able, he told me, to prevail on the president to dissolve the commission and make sure that, at least in the Reagan presidency, there would be no further effort to sell metric. >It was a signal victory, but one which we recognized would have to be shared only between the two of us, lest public opinion once again began to head toward metrification.

mdellabitta 11y ago

SI and metric are actually subtly different. Do any countries actually use SI rather than metric?

germanier 11y ago
At least the whole EU uses SI units by Directive 80/181/EEC (so called "Units of Measure Directive"). From everything I know, most other countries of the world use SI as well. Not surprising, as the system is now 55 years old and explicitly replaced former definitions. Even US laws explicitly refer to SI, for example the Metric Conversion Act of 1975: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/STATUTE-89/pdf/STATUTE-89-Pg1007.pdf http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/STATUTE-89/pdf/STATUTE-89-Pg100...
- DanBC 11y ago
  UK uses miles on road signs, pints in pubs, etc. Many people still use stones and pounds for human weight, even if they're in a medical setting.
  - germanier 11y ago
    However, those are explicitly defined in terms of SI units for use in the UK in that directive. The question of GGP was, whether some countries use other metric systems which are not SI. I don't think such a country exists.
    - fanf2 11y ago
      The Imperial volume units used in Britain are vaguely metric, and different from the US customary (i.e. Queen Anne) units. The Imperial gallon is the volume of 10 lb avoirdupois of water at s.t.p. The other similarity to French metric units is they replaced a number of different application-specific volume measures. At about the same time as the Imperial unit reform Britain introduced the "florin" 2 shilling coin, 10 per pound, another vague attempt at decimalization.