(Abe Kouris) wrote in message . com...
"jj" wrote in message ...
I'm curious, has there ever been an attempt at going metric in the US? e.g.
using Celsius? How do people feel about it?

jj

[snip]
Actually, even the Frenchies and other Europeans resisted the metric
system after it was introduced, but their 19th century authoritarian
governments (Does "Napoleon ring a bell?) made it happen. And even
today, Europeans apparently have some non-official, but core
convenient, units in common use: the German "pfund" (500 grams), and
German and Scandanvian plumber supposedly measure pipe diameters in
"thumbs" or "inches."


Strange belief that units should serve people, instead of people
serving units. They use the units that serve them.

My guess is that the Americans won't convert in common use until the
American Empire collapses and they won't be able to dictate to
suppliers like they do today. Until then, I don't see America going
metric in comman usage even though Americas, in reality, a metric
country.


It is sort of an interesting lesson in economics. When the economic
incentive is there, folks will change. There will be economic incentives
for a long time in some industries NOT to change. Probably more
accurately, in some applications, there is little economic advantage
to metric units. My personal suspicion is that by the time
any wholesale conversion takes place, you'll see a fairly basterdized
metric system around the world. I'm already seeing "kilograms force"
I've heard of metric "bricks" that aren't multiples of 10 of any
metric unit. A guy I knew in snow removal measured in "trucks".
I asked him how many tons or cubic feet and he didn't know.
He knew how many trucks to the mile. Those kind of "organic" units
are common and don't convert well to arbitrary metric values.
Folks may throw the word "metric" in front of them but they
won't really be a derived unit.