Metric or US customary? Which measurement system you perfer?

[Andy44]

This reminds me of an argument about Word vs. WordPerfect many years ago. That particular argument kinda fizzled out when someone proclaimed "WordPerfect is better because it has larger letters!!!!" :rofl:

True story btw!

Actually, you are not far from what I was thinking. As with word processors, the process of picking which unit system to use is in many ways a market decision.

The US government hasn't asserted itself as forcefully as many other goverments; it's pretty much left up to a popularity. Drivers, of course, are forced to use imperial units on the roads, but in your private life you can use whatever you want. Many rulers come in both units.

NASA still uses imperial for many legacy programs (STS), but newer programs are increasingly using metric. The contractors who do space work prefer metric as well, and their young new-hired engineers all used metric in college.

So metric will eventually edge out imperial as time goes on. But imperial will stick around for those who feel more comfortable with it. Even in the UK people still measure their weight in "stone" and in literature "miles" is still more romantic than "kilometers".

 

[C3PO]

So metric will eventually edge out imperial as time goes on. But imperial will stick around for those who feel more comfortable with it.

:hesaid:
I'm a "metric" guy, but I still like my altitude in feets and screens in inches.

.... and in literature "miles" is still more romantic than "kilometers".

What about "parsecs"? You can't get more romantic then that! :rofl:

 

[Star Voyager]

Everything is good to someone and that exact same thing is bad to someone else. With 6billion people on the planet that is how it will be for everything.

Quite true, but as a proud American, I will stick by my handy-dandy customary system.

 

[Andy44]

What about "parsecs"? You can't get more romantic then that! :rofl:

As long as you remember it's a unit of distance, not time. Since your name is C3PO, you know who I'm talking about!

 

[Donamy]

"oh I would walk 500 kilometers ..." would'nt sound the same.

 

[insanity]

I believe some things are either good or bad. The customary system is good. Socialism is bad. Because we refuse to cooperate is because we're unique and value it. I certainly do. If we change now, things will most likely fall apart.

I don't follow your logic, how is socialism bad but using a system that has no mathematical logic good? Also, how are they related? I'm proud to be an American too, but I don't think socialism is bad or that the imperial system is good. It's all about application, familiarity, and culture. Personally I prefer the metric system, but I lived in Europe for awhile and thought it was quite easy to understand.

 

[Donamy]

Countdown to thread destruction.

10 ...9 ...8 ...........

 

[tl8]

7........6.............5.............4..............3..............2.............1.........0.............
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...................-1.........-2.........-3

Umm what number system are we meant to be using?

 

[SpaceNut]

Metric is easier, more logical, but I was raised under inches feet and miles, so those values carry more meaning for me. What I'm saying is that I have a better idea of quantity using the English system. It would be nice if the US got in line with the rest of the world and converted over to metric (more fully than we are now), but it's just always been a huge undertaking because our country is so large and industrialized that there's always been resistance to the changes. There was an attempt back in the 70's to push America towards metric, but all we got out of that is that soda pop is now sold in 1 and 2 liter bottles rather than quart and 1/2 gallon (64 oz) bottles. That's about as far as it went too... lol. Actually, the medical field has been metric for a very long time, and NASA, believe it or not, still uses the Imperial system as well.

 

[Star Voyager]

I don't follow your logic, how is socialism bad but using a system that has no mathematical logic good?

Please refer to my addition problem earlier (and no, socialism an the metric system aren't related). But it is all about your comfort level.

 

[Eccentrus]

I use Metric, I grew up in a nation where being metricized is customary ;p (Feets and Inches doesn't make any sense to me, as well as stones and miles)

 

[ijuin]

Mostly I can think in metric when dealing with inanimate things, but when it comes to measuring the human body I have a hard time feeling the value of a person's height or weight in metric units. I also don't have a very good grasp of what Celsius temperatures "feel" like--if I go outside I will subconsciously perceive the temperature in Fahrenheit terms and have to think about what Celsius number it corresponds to.

 

[Ark]

"Because I feel comfortable with it" isn't a valid argument for why imperial is better. You only feel that way because you grew up around people and industry that uses it. Metric is superior in every logical way possible. The only reason the US is the last first world country that still uses it is because A. the government hasn't made it mandatory, and B. inertia. This is how it's always been done and people don't like change, even if it's for the better.

 

[Arrowstar]

My thermodynamics professor swears by the BTU and pound mass. This is not to say I haven't done thermo problems with Joules and kilograms, but clearly the preference is with these units (and related). As someone who performs a fair amount of engineering work with English units (in school, of course), I have to vote that way. Just a familiarity thing.

 

[Andy44]

"Because I feel comfortable with it" isn't a valid argument for why imperial is better. You only feel that way because you grew up around people and industry that uses it. Metric is superior in every logical way possible. The only reason the US is the last first world country that still uses it is because A. the government hasn't made it mandatory, and B. inertia. This is how it's always been done and people don't like change, even if it's for the better.

It seems like some of you are actually angry because the government isn't forcing you to use your logical system.

This is a discussion thread, and we've got people talking about socialism and getting pissed off. Why?

 

[Ark]

My point is that it's relative, people who grew up with metric are just as comfortable with it as we are, and that's the reason we haven't switched over yet, despite the huge benefits of using the same standardized measurement system as the rest of the planet. It's like smoking, basically, the benefits of quitting are plainly obvious, but people don't want to.

 

[Andy44]

My point is that it's relative, people who grew up with metric are just as comfortable with it as we are, and that's the reason we haven't switched over yet, despite the huge benefits of using the same standardized measurement system as the rest of the planet. It's like smoking, basically, the benefits of quitting are plainly obvious, but people don't want to.

Like I said, it's changing naturally. People will come around as more of them get into technical fields.

The imperial system shouldn't be forgotten, though. It's part of our history and culture.

 

[Ark]

IMO, the industry that has the real power to make the change happen is the construction industry. Anything computing, aerospace, or other high technology already uses it, but all structures in this country are still built in feet and inches. If they can switch over to meters, I think that'll really make things happen.

 

[ThatGuy]

I grew up in the imperial system and I am comfortable using it. But, I would much rather be using metric. I just find it easier. The only problem I have with metric is that there is no commonly used unit between the centimeter and the meter.

...and "5 dollar 30 centimeter long" isn't so catchy.

 

[Notebook]

I agree.

One advantage of the Imperial system is the large numbers of factors you can get out of it. Inches, feet, yards, miles. Ounces, pounds, quarters, Cwt, tons.

I can even remember pre-decimalisation, £, shillings, pence, halfpennys, sixpences, theepenny-bits, farthings, half-crowns, ten-bob notes, fivers, tenners,...Maybe it wasn't a good idea...

N.