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Why don't they just go to the logical next step and just make metric the standard, the Imperial System (foot etc.) are already defined by the Metric system? Hu

by Lev1a 5y ago

Why don't they just go to the logical next step and just make metric the standard, the Imperial System (foot etc.) are already defined by the Metric system? Humorous view on the situation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hid7EJkwDNk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hid7EJkwDNk

ysavir 5y ago
While I agree that Metric is better, converting isn't very practical. Imagine the cost of having to change every sign, book, and other text using imperial measurements, as well as any programs and tools that are based on imperial. It just wouldn't happen. We could pass a law saying "we're metric now", but it would likely just be a formality while we continue using Imperial.
- tokamak-teapot 5y ago
  You don’t have to change everything all at once. Make new things use both. Then later make new things use metric only. Maybe. In the UK milk comes in multiples of a pint but with millilitres shown on the packaging too.
  - emodendroket 5y ago
    So do American products.
    - galangalalgol 5y ago
      Except soda and liquor which are in liters.
- ulfw 5y ago
  Things that are all possible and payable in every country on the planet, poor or rich, except the US of A
dazhengca 5y ago
Metric is currently the “ preferred system of weights and measures for United States trade and commerce” https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml;jsessionid=8314B6B7A95CC66743496CA05FED62D5?hl=false&edition=prelim&req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title15-section205b&num=0&saved=%7CZ3JhbnVsZWlkOlVTQy1wcmVsaW0tdGl0bGUxNS1zZWN0aW9uMjA1YQ%3D%3D%7C%7C%7C0%7Cfalse%7Cprelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml;jsessionid=8314B6B7A95CC... As you mentioned, the foot and all other U.S. customary units are based on the International System of Units (SI). https://www.nist.gov/pml/weights-and-measures/metric-si https://www.nist.gov/pml/weights-and-measures/metric-si
emodendroket 5y ago
The biggest historical reason for the current state of affairs is that metrification largely came with industrialization, but in the US industrialization had already happened with US customary units and industrialists resisted the change. Or that’s how I understand it.
- waheoo 5y ago
  There are largely tangible benefits using imperial over metric, builders arithmetic is much easier for one, it's all fractions based.
  - xwolfi 5y ago
    I m not sure I get that. You can subdivide metric as well, and we build a lot of things in China, Japan, Germany, England, France, Australia, us metric system users. It seems that the US, Myanmar and Liberia, the current users of the imperial system, could join us with minimal or negligible cost.
    - galangalalgol 5y ago
      I think what they are trying to say is all the building materials and measuring tapes are designed with halves quarters, eighths, etc. in mind. But obviously that could have been done in metric too. But 2 and 5 are the only common factors in metric. 12 inches in a foot means 2 3 and 5. 5280 feet in a mile is similarly dividable. One of the reasons metric time never took of was because we have more factors in 60 and 24 than in 10.
    - emodendroket 5y ago
      The cost isn’t that minimal when everyone has materials denominated in customary units anyway, tool sets in them, and so on, and the benefit isn’t that big when the industrial and scientific applications that really would most benefit are already done in metric.
    - qayxc 5y ago
      > It seems that the US, Myanmar and Liberia, the current users of the imperial system [...] Nitpick: That's wrong. Neither the US, nor Myanmar use the imperial system. The US uses US customary units, while Myanmar uses traditional Burmese units of measurement. Neither of which are imperial units (as defined by the British Weights and Measures Act) and only US customary units are related to the imperial unit system.
ziml77 5y ago
This video goes over the failures of the UK, US, and Canada switching to Metric (from the perspective of a Canadian) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s95cxZkC_es https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s95cxZkC_es

by Lev1a 5y ago

ysavir 5y ago

While I agree that Metric is better, converting isn't very practical. Imagine the cost of having to change every sign, book, and other text using imperial measurements, as well as any programs and tools that are based on imperial. It just wouldn't happen. We could pass a law saying "we're metric now", but it would likely just be a formality while we continue using Imperial.

tokamak-teapot 5y ago
You don’t have to change everything all at once. Make new things use both. Then later make new things use metric only. Maybe. In the UK milk comes in multiples of a pint but with millilitres shown on the packaging too.
- emodendroket 5y ago
  So do American products.
  - galangalalgol 5y ago
    Except soda and liquor which are in liters.
ulfw 5y ago
Things that are all possible and payable in every country on the planet, poor or rich, except the US of A

dazhengca 5y ago

Metric is currently the “ preferred system of weights and measures for United States trade and commerce” https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml;jsessionid=8314B6B7A95CC66743496CA05FED62D5?hl=false&edition=prelim&req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title15-section205b&num=0&saved=%7CZ3JhbnVsZWlkOlVTQy1wcmVsaW0tdGl0bGUxNS1zZWN0aW9uMjA1YQ%3D%3D%7C%7C%7C0%7Cfalse%7Cprelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml;jsessionid=8314B6B7A95CC... As you mentioned, the foot and all other U.S. customary units are based on the International System of Units (SI). https://www.nist.gov/pml/weights-and-measures/metric-si https://www.nist.gov/pml/weights-and-measures/metric-si

emodendroket 5y ago

The biggest historical reason for the current state of affairs is that metrification largely came with industrialization, but in the US industrialization had already happened with US customary units and industrialists resisted the change. Or that’s how I understand it.

waheoo 5y ago
There are largely tangible benefits using imperial over metric, builders arithmetic is much easier for one, it's all fractions based.
- xwolfi 5y ago
  I m not sure I get that. You can subdivide metric as well, and we build a lot of things in China, Japan, Germany, England, France, Australia, us metric system users. It seems that the US, Myanmar and Liberia, the current users of the imperial system, could join us with minimal or negligible cost.
  - galangalalgol 5y ago
    I think what they are trying to say is all the building materials and measuring tapes are designed with halves quarters, eighths, etc. in mind. But obviously that could have been done in metric too. But 2 and 5 are the only common factors in metric. 12 inches in a foot means 2 3 and 5. 5280 feet in a mile is similarly dividable. One of the reasons metric time never took of was because we have more factors in 60 and 24 than in 10.
  - emodendroket 5y ago
    The cost isn’t that minimal when everyone has materials denominated in customary units anyway, tool sets in them, and so on, and the benefit isn’t that big when the industrial and scientific applications that really would most benefit are already done in metric.
  - qayxc 5y ago
    > It seems that the US, Myanmar and Liberia, the current users of the imperial system [...] Nitpick: That's wrong. Neither the US, nor Myanmar use the imperial system. The US uses US customary units, while Myanmar uses traditional Burmese units of measurement. Neither of which are imperial units (as defined by the British Weights and Measures Act) and only US customary units are related to the imperial unit system.

ziml77 5y ago

This video goes over the failures of the UK, US, and Canada switching to Metric (from the perspective of a Canadian) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s95cxZkC_es https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s95cxZkC_es