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#41
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US going metric?
"me" wrote in message
m... "Mark Hewitt" wrote in message ... [snip][ Each to their own, I guess it's what you are used to. But I find the fahrenheit scale makes no sense at all! Zero for freezing, one hundred for boiling point. Makes much more sense than 32 for the freezing point! That is generally my complaint about many metric units, they're just a darn inconvienent size. The centimeter is too small, but the meter is too large. Feet is nice for alot of what I use those dimensions for. I sometimes think it's too bad that feet weren't measured as one third of meters, giving that convenient size. For smaller things centimeters and millimeters have it all over inches. KM -- (-:alohacyberian:-) At my website there are 3000 live cameras or visit NASA, play games, read jokes, send greeting cards & connect to CNN news, NBA, the White House, Academy Awards or learn all about Hawaii, Israel and mo http://keith.martin.home.att.net/ |
#42
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US going metric?
"DMW" wrote in message
... The degree F however is a smaller increment than celcius and in most of the applications I need the scales for, I prefer that finer division. 22.1°C, 22.2°C, 22.3°C... works for me. DMW But, it's doubtful that meteoroligists or weather reporters will begin to report beyond round numbers. KM -- (-:alohacyberian:-) At my website there are 3000 live cameras or visit NASA, play games, read jokes, send greeting cards & connect to CNN news, NBA, the White House, Academy Awards or learn all about Hawaii, Israel and mo http://keith.martin.home.att.net/ |
#43
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US going metric?
"Zane" wrote in message
... On Mon, 05 Jan 2004 05:16:11 GMT, "alohacyberian" wrote: (snip) The ease and convenience with the metric system is far superior to the hodgepodge used in the United States, though I agree that the use of Fahrenheit and feet instead of celsius temperatures and meters offers much more exact measurements and I think for that reason most Americans will prefer the current sytem over metric for a long, long time. And I think Americans by and large prefer miles to kilometers for distance, though personally, I think kilometers are probably a better way to measure distance, but don't expect most Americans to agree with me. KM I agree that we use a "hodge podge", but I don't think that is necessarily a big problem these days. I remember doing a paper in college in the '60s on why the U.S. simply _had_ to change to exclusive use of the "metric" system _now_. (I was really convinced myself.) One of the main arguments was the cost disadvantage we had in doing business internationally. It turned out that extra accounting and warehousing/inventory costs were even worse than the costs of making things in different sizes, even then. With the advent of using computers for almost everything (even machine control), this urgency related to $$ kind of went away. It's my opinion/guess that this is why the push to convert lost momentum. I also think that Americans are considerably more metric savvy than many Europeans think. As someone mentioned in another post, anyone who follows track and field knows basic length measurements. Many things are rated in kilograms or grams. (Even golf club heads are all rated in grams for weight and cc's for size/volume.) 35 mm cameras with lens focal lengths measured in mm's. Most of our medicines in mg's. Automobile tires measured in mm's. etc. etc. It doesn't take a genius to keep a double set of books in ones' head related to things like distances, temperature, etc. and use whatever units are convenient. Europeans are just cheating themselves out of some of the world's richness of units. :-) One thing I will always refuse to do, in any event, is change from using psi to pascals for my tire pressure. (Meters are also a pain in the rear for golf and other approximate distances because you can't pace off meters -- they're too long for most of us.) Zane Yes, and as far as distances and speeds, most automobile computers now allow the dirvers to view the readings in metric and speedometers have the speeds in both miles per hour and kilometers per hour. I'm still waiting for someone to say it's long overdue to revamp the 360 degrees of circles into metric! KM -- (-:alohacyberian:-) At my website there are 3000 live cameras or visit NASA, play games, read jokes, send greeting cards & connect to CNN news, NBA, the White House, Academy Awards or learn all about Hawaii, Israel and mo http://keith.martin.home.att.net/ |
#44
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US going metric?
"Mark Hewitt" wrote in message
... "Bill" wrote in message ... Each to their own, I guess it's what you are used to. But I find the fahrenheit scale makes no sense at all! Zero for freezing, one hundred for boiling point. Makes much more sense than 32 for the freezing point! But, in places like Hawaii where at sea level the temperatures range from 65 (which is unusually low) to 90 degrees the narrow width of Celsius 20-30 degrees seems too narrow. But on my weather webpages I have them displayed both ways for visitors who are used to both: http://home.att.net/~alohacyberian/weather.html - KM -- (-:alohacyberian:-) At my website there are 3000 live cameras or visit NASA, play games, read jokes, send greeting cards & connect to CNN news, NBA, the White House, Academy Awards or learn all about Hawaii, Israel and mo http://keith.martin.home.att.net/ |
#45
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US going metric?
"Dave Smith" wrote in message
... alohacyberian wrote: The ease and convenience with the metric system is far superior to the hodgepodge used in the United States, though I agree that the use of Fahrenheit and feet instead of celsius temperatures and meters offers much more exact measurements and I think for that reason most Americans will prefer the current sytem over metric for a long, long time. And I think Americans by and large prefer miles to kilometers for distance, though personally, I think kilometers are probably a better way to measure distance, but don't expect most Americans to agree with me. KM Having worked with metric measurements for the last 26 years, I have to say that I find it much easier to work with than the Imperial system. While one degree F may be a finer measurement than one degree C, most people cannot detect the difference. And when dealing with weather, humidity and wind can distort temperature sensations so much that they would not be able to tell anyway. I find it handy to have 0 degrees as the freezing point because it makes a significant difference to the weather. Anything below that is freezing (water). If people really want a finer measurement of temperature they can also use half degree C. (.5). Let's face it, the Imperial system is confusing. It is so much easier to deal with units of ten. 12 inches in a foot, 3 feet in a yard, 5,280 feet or 1,760 yards in a mile, 4,480 sq. ft. in an acre, 640 acres in a sq. mile. Where is the sense in that? It comes as no surprise to me that many of those who are opposed to converting to metric do not even know most of the Imperial system. They are unaware of bushels, pecks rods, drams, noggins etc. The biggest hang-up that people seem to have is in conversation. Once you make the switch to metric you do not need to convert. You simple measure in metric. If you are going to a city 60 miles away and the speed limit is 60 mph you do not have to convert the 60 to (roughly) 100 and the speed to (roughly ) 100 kph. The city is 100 km. away and doing 100 kph you will be there in an hour. If you walk outside and the temperature is 0 C, you do not have to convert it to 32F. It's cold. It's 0 degrees. In Hawaii 65 degrees fahrenheit is considered cold! Yes, for common sense and ease of use the metric system is the way to go. Though, with some things, I suppose what is familiar is easier to judge. For instance the highest point in Hawaii, where I live is Mauna Kea at 13,697 feet in altitude which seems impressive since it's on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but, when stated in meters, it doesn't sound like much! And temperatures expressed in the 20 to 30 degree range seem way too narrow. People who live in Hawaii are keyed to much smaller changes in temperature than are people from more temperate climates. I know I've had people from the U.K. or Canada ask if Hawaii is a lot hotter in the summer than in the winter and always assure them they probably won't be able to tell the difference as daytime temperatures are in the mid to high 80s in the summer and mid to low 80s in the winter, and nighttime temperatures in the high to mid 70s in the summer and mid to low 70s, occasionally high 60s in the winter. It's not uncommon for Hawaiians to put on sweaters or jackets when the temperatues are in the low 70s, whereas people from England and Canada would be taking their sweaters off in those temperatures. Celsius seems too narrow for the tropical islands that have little variation. KM -- (-:alohacyberian:-) At my website there are 3000 live cameras or visit NASA, play games, read jokes, send greeting cards & connect to CNN news, NBA, the White House, Academy Awards or learn all about Hawaii, Israel and mo http://keith.martin.home.att.net/ |
#46
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US going metric?
"alohacyberian" wrote in message ... But, in places like Hawaii where at sea level the temperatures range from 65 (which is unusually low) to 90 degrees the narrow width of Celsius 20-30 degrees seems too narrow. Why? Does anyone really care if the temp is exactly 75 degrees, vs. 74 or 76? A change of 1-2 degrees Celsius is a lot closer to the minimum change that most people can perceive or will care about than a change of 1 deg. F. Bob M. |
#47
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US going metric?
As the world 'grows' smaller and the time consumed in communicating shrinks at an amazing rate it is perhaps a notable point that nowhere else in the world has anyone changed from 'Metric System' to the 'Idiotic System' of random unrelated methods of measuring as used n the 'US'. The Base 10 System is widely accepted by the public as well as business as the method of finance. Consider that the first method everyone all over the world has of counting is by the use of our ten fingers and the same number of toes. There are historical facts that the founding of the present distance measurement of inches and feet etc. is based on the length of someones nose and the distance from each other. It is nonsense to use 'Base 12' in the step from inches to feet, a 'Base 3' system from feet to yards and then return to a 'Base 10' system for 100 yards or 1000 yards seems rather clumsy. Even worse is our mile at 5280 feet. Try to explain what an acre is based on and try to keep a straight face -- no relativity at all. If we start to teach Metric to kids in school next year as the only system and follow thru with it in Grocery Stores, Building Supply stores thru to Furniture etc. The kids will take great pleasure in 'Teaching their Parents' who will quickly adapt once they are subjected to the relentless pressure of their offspring to learn the new system. And the kids will love it!! |
#48
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US going metric?
The drug dealers are way ahead of the curve on this one. They've been dealing in kilos and grams forever. ;o) rj On Sun, 4 Jan 2004 23:04:25 -0000, "jj" wrote: 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 rj |
#49
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US going metric?
On Mon, 05 Jan 2004 21:01:55 GMT, "alohacyberian"
wrote: Yes, and as far as distances and speeds, most automobile computers now allow the dirvers to view the readings in metric and speedometers have the speeds in both miles per hour and kilometers per hour. I'm still waiting for someone to say it's long overdue to revamp the 360 degrees of circles into metric! KM Already done. A right angle is divided into 100 grads. See http://www.mentorsoftwareinc.com/CC/...s/TIPS0999.HTM My calculator does grads. ************* DAVE HATUNEN ) ************* * Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow * * My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps * |
#50
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US going metric?
alohacyberian wrote: But, in places like Hawaii where at sea level the temperatures range from 65 (which is unusually low) to 90 degrees the narrow width of Celsius 20-30 degrees seems too narrow. But on my weather webpages I have them displayed both ways for visitors who are used to both: Can you tell the difference between 84 and 85 F ? I have enough trouble estimating the temperature when the humidity changes because a dry 85 degrees doesn't seem as hot as a damp 80 degrees. It does not take long to adapt to metric temperatures once you start using them. I tend to think of the outside temperature in terms of comfort levels or type of clothing to be worn, especially because I work outside. It can be a short sleeve day, a long sleeve day, long sleeves and tee shirt, light jacket, parka, parka and sweater, whether or not I need gloves. If I poke my head out in the morning and it is really cold, I bundle up. If it is comfortable but lower temperatures predicated I will dress warmer. |
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