4 ms·
An obsolete measurement of volume. Only a few countries are too immersed in their self-centred past to use the world-wide metric system. That refusal to progr
by simonblack 7y ago
An obsolete measurement of volume.
Only a few countries are too immersed in their self-centred past to use the world-wide metric system.
That refusal to progress has cost millions (billions?) when different units have been used without conversion.
http://edition.cnn.com/TECH/space/9909/30/mars.metric.02/ http://edition.cnn.com/TECH/space/9909/30/mars.metric.02/
- seiferteric 7y agopersonally I think we should switch to Planck units.
- simonblack 7y agoWhile that could be more consistent, the presence of all those zeroes would inevitably lead to too many typographical errors.
- CarlRJ 7y agoThat's why we'll record them in base 97. Much more compact, therefore easier to read.
- billpg 7y agoThat would fix the problem of time zones. All times should be in planck units with the zero epoch at the moment big bang.
- tzs 7y agoIt would not fix the problem of time zones. It would just change their interpretation, and maybe their name. As long as we live on a spherical planet with just one sun, and keep our sleep cycles roughly synced to daylight, we will need time zones or something equivalent.
- knob 7y agoAlways remember: There are two types of countries in the world. Those that use the metric system ... And those that have gone to the Moon.
- Taniwha 7y agoI've always loved the American aphorism: "a pint's a pound the world around" .... which is only actually true in the US, but does show an insight into a certain world view
- simonblack 7y agoBut a (British/Imperial) gallon is 10 pounds. 20 fluid ounces to the pint.
- Taniwha 7y agoThat's kind of my point, only the US uses US gallons, and only US gallons weigh a pound, but they use this saying that's untrue, but few people notice because the US is a very inward looking culture