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US going metric?



 
 
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  #71  
Old January 6th, 2004, 07:15 PM
me
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Default US going metric?

Stephen Dailey wrote in message . com...
[snip]
I'm an engineer, and I've never done plans or specs in metric. The
reason is simple: my clients want (and therefore pay for) Imperial
deliverables.


And there is a reason they want them. Their tools, their products,
their standards, their references are filled with US Customary units.


I understand the units and how much sense they make, but I have no feel
for them. I can visualize 100 miles, but I can't do the same for 161
kilometers, even though they are about the same. When I'm out of the US
for a few days, and therefore immersed in metric, I can start to "think"
in metric. It's like being in a foreign language class taught only in
that language.



But here, going metric is more like living in a country where
everything is written in french, and everyone speaks chinese.
  #72  
Old January 6th, 2004, 07:17 PM
Frank F. Matthews
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Default US going metric?

Evelyn C. Leeper wrote:

Mark Hewitt wrote:

Personally, living in the UK they've been trying to introduce metric here
for decades, and it's largely suceeded. However there are still many
shops
selling fruit etc by the pound, even though it's actually illegal,
they get
away with it. My view is that it isn't because of what customers want,
rather than if they price in KG their prices would look a lot higher!



Also, beer is still sold in pints.

But local pints not real pints. FFM

  #73  
Old January 6th, 2004, 07:17 PM
Bob Myers
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Default US going metric?


"alohacyberian" wrote in message
...
As I said, people in Hawaii may complain when it's 70 degrees, but, won't

if
it's 72. Some people who live in climates where there is very little
variation can certainly tell the difference. When it's 70 degrees, most
Hawaiians will wear jackets or sweaters. KM


OK, so they'll complain at 21 deg. C but not at 22 deg. C.
What's the problem?

There are already many, many examples of places with climates
very similar to Hawai'i, and yet the residents are quite at ease with
temperatures in Celsius. Why should we think Hawai'ians can't also
adapt to the other system?

Bob M.


  #74  
Old January 6th, 2004, 07:19 PM
Bob Myers
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Default US going metric?


"me" wrote in message
om...

Besides almost universal lack of use? It's a tad small still.
Feet is a good height for bridge clearances and the like.


Funny, my recollection of driving in places like France is that
they DO have bridges there, and yet I don't think French truck
drivers tend to run their vehicles into them any more often than
in the U.S.. Wonder how they do it? :-)

Bob M.


  #75  
Old January 6th, 2004, 07:21 PM
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Default US going metric?


I've gotta admit;
I'd rather split 70mm than 17/32nds.
rj



On Tue, 6 Jan 2004 11:10:09 -0600, "Steve"
wrote:

Being an engineer and working for a manufactuirng company that sells
globally, the US cannot switch to metric fast enough to suit me. Being a
woodworker I would switch entirely to metric if I could get everything I
need in metric sizes. I remember learning the metric system in 3rd grade,
and hearing it was Real Important because we would be switching over in "a
few years"...well, why don't we? It's easier for everything.


"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




rj
  #76  
Old January 6th, 2004, 07:26 PM
Frank F. Matthews
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Default US going metric?

B Vaughan wrote:

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?


When my kids were in elementary school, about 20 years ago, they were
given intensive education in the metric system, with the thought that
the US might be going metric by the time they were grown. It kind of
fizzled out. It's really difficult to motivate such a large country to
change anything as major as this. You know, the bigger the mass, the
greater the inertia.
--------
Barbara Vaughan


My email address is my first initial followed by my last name at libero dot it.


It's a strange combination of inertia, law, and weird corporate
decisions. High proof beverages were changed by statute some time ago.
We use 2 liter bottles for soda but 12 oz. cans and 1/2 gallon juice
containers. Fortunately measurement has little connection with real
life so little confusion occurs. Folks just buy little or large
containers. FFM

  #77  
Old January 6th, 2004, 07:29 PM
Frank F. Matthews
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Default US going metric?

mary wrote:

If I remember correctly there was a movement in the mid 70's to go metric. I
think the reason people in the United States do not like metrics is that
schools spent most of their time teaching how to convert from feet and so
forth to metrics. You end up with unusual number results. If you used
metrics from scratch, it is much easier than the other methods. I learned
metrics in chemistry, and found the system easy.

Tom


That was one of the problems. It makes no sense to try to simplify
things and then expect conversions. Another problem was in cooking
where the system changed go mixed up with the Europe=weight cooking vs
the US=volume approach. Finally, inertia locked in where there was no
real need for change. Some things changed and others didn't. Ever
wonder why you get Coke in 2 l bottles but 12 oz. cans? FFM

  #78  
Old January 6th, 2004, 07:41 PM
alohacyberian
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Default US going metric?

"MMcC" wrote in message
...
"alohacyberian" wrote in message
...
"Dave Smith" wrote in message
...
Can you tell the difference between 84 and 85 F ? I have enough

trouble

No, but, I can tell the difference between 70 and 72.


But can you tell the difference between 71 and 72?

If a 2 degree F difference is as low as you can go then Celsius would work
just fine as 1C is 1.8F


But, as I said, media weather reporting and forecasting is unlikely to use
decimals. 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/


  #79  
Old January 6th, 2004, 07:42 PM
alohacyberian
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Default US going metric?

"Steve" wrote in message
...
Being an engineer and working for a manufactuirng company that sells
globally, the US cannot switch to metric fast enough to suit me. Being a
woodworker I would switch entirely to metric if I could get everything I
need in metric sizes. I remember learning the metric system in 3rd grade,
and hearing it was Real Important because we would be switching over in "a
few years"...well, why don't we? It's easier for everything.


Big countries like the United States are like giant supertankers, they change
direction very slowly. 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/


  #80  
Old January 6th, 2004, 07:42 PM
alohacyberian
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Default US going metric?

"Hatunen" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 06 Jan 2004 08:23:12 GMT, "alohacyberian"
wrote:

Once again, you live in a climate with a wide range of yearly

temperatures,
so I wasn't talking about your climate, I was talking about mine with a

range
of 25 degrees Fahrenheit. KM


So it's your considered opinion that the rest of the world should
adjust its meteorogical systems to accomondate the situation in
Hawai'i?


No, dearie, did you ignore the fact that I said more than once that the
metric system has it all over the Imperial system? I said the U.S. is
unlikely to give up some of the old systems such as Farenheit, and gave
Hawaii as an example of why. 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/


 




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