Nevertheless, the real issue is about the failure of the US to adopt the metric system, and similarly the UK to a lesser extent (UK's already supposed to be met

Nevertheless, the real issue is about the failure of the US to adopt the metric system, and similarly the UK to a lesser extent (UK's already supposed to be metric but it acts as if it isn't). Read my reply to Symbiote. As I said in a HN post only a few days ago, in most things Australia is a follower not a leader but it got it right with the introduction of the metric system. During which it banned the use of Imperial units (measurement). For example, one couldn't buy a 12-inch rule, only a 30 cm one. After everyone had gotten used to the change the rules were relaxed and some Imperial stuff could be used but most measurements still had to remain metric - fuel in liters, food in kg etc. One of the reasons the changeover worked well was that kids learned metric from the outset at achool and if adults didn't want to appear stupid in front of them they had to learn to adjust and they did. In the UK that never happened to the same extent.