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
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"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
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"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
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"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
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"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
--
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visit NASA, play games, read jokes, send greeting cards & connect
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"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.

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!!

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

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 *

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.