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Why can't all nations adapt to the metric system?

fitmic

By fitmic
in The looney bin

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abat Newbie

abat

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Posted

Military time I can see as I prefer that myself. Metric is interesting, growing up in the UK I seem to have picked up the ability to mostly work in metric or imperial with two exceptions. Kilometres and Centrigrade still confuse the hell out of me and I have to convert from miles or Fahrenheit.

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Victoria Newbie

Victoria

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Posted
Why can't all nations adapt to the metric system, drive on the right hand side, and read time in military standard (instead of pm and am)?

That would make sense to me!

Beware! Beware! The New World Order Lord Sith!! Other than George HW Bush obviously. :lol:

(Can you actually believe there are people who believe this crap?)

P.S.: I don't mind Metric, but I prefer Imperial, and Metric confuses me to this day. I don't see cultural variations to be problems. If you adopt this, then why stop there?

How about if we all have PAL or NTSC or SECAM? We have 8 Regions now.

Or if we all use the same eletrical plugs? OR the same currency for that matter.

I genuinely do not understand why people find all these differences terribly exasperating. It's like complaining why don't we all eat the same food.

Because folks is diff'rent. *shrug*

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maxmilian Newbie

maxmilian

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Beware! Beware! The New World Order Lord Sith!! Other than George HW Bush obviously. :lol:

(Can you actually believe there are people who believe this crap?)

P.S.: I don't mind Metric, but I prefer Imperial, and Metric confuses me to this day. I don't see cultural variations to be problems. If you adopt this, then why stop there?

How about if we all have PAL or NTSC or SECAM? We have 8 Regions now.

Or if we all use the same eletrical plugs? OR the same currency for that matter.

I genuinely do not understand why people find all these differences terribly exasperating. It's like complaining why don't we all eat the same food.

Because folks is diff'rent. *shrug*

I agree people are diffrent but just look at the logic here ....

Inch/feet etc

1 inch (in)

1 foot (ft) 12 in

1 yard (yd) 3 ft

1 mile (mi) 5,280 ft

Metric system

metre (common base unit)

mile = 10 000 metres

kilometre = 1000 metres

decimetre = 1⁄10 of a metre or 0,1 metres

centimetre = 1⁄100 of a metre or 0,01 metres

millimetre = 1⁄1000 of a metre or 0,001 metres

Which of the systems seems more logic/modern too you ?

Dont wanna start a war here, this is just my 2 cents.

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geo1nah2a Newbie

geo1nah2a

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Posted (edited)
I genuinely do not understand why people find all these differences terribly exasperating. It's like complaining why don't we all eat the same food.

Because folks is diff'rent. *shrug*

Living in or traveling to a foreign country would be less frustrating if we were using a common measuring system for things like temperature, weight and distance.

Imagine if the metric system had defined that the day has 10 hours, and every hour has 100 minutes, and every hour has 100 seconds. They would have reasons to claim that this is more easy to understand given it is using the decimal numeral system. Then you travel to Germany and ask for the time, and you get something like it is 5.78 and 82 seconds. Good luck getting to that meeting on time :)

BTW , this is how the Fahrenheit scale feels to people used to the metric system (and the other way around :)

PS: On currencies: it is not about convenience and differences of measurement. The reason we can’t have one currency has to do with money markets and macroeconomics.

Edited by geo1nah2a
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Victoria Newbie

Victoria

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Which of the systems seems more logic/modern too you ?

Dont wanna start a war here, this is just my 2 cents.

I for one quite understand WHY people want Metric.

In fact, you know this is truly a controversial topic. Crazies come out when discussing this topic in the real world...

I've spoken to Luddites who do not want a world based machinery, computers, innovation in general and lump Metric into this.

I've spoken to New World Order freaks who think the UN will take over the world, if we all adopt the Metric system. Both on the Left and Right, BTW. This used to be a province of right-wing nuts, but OH NO longer. Sad that.

I'm reminded of a British sitcom's character who was having her kitchen fitted with new cabinets. The salesman showed her brochures ...using Metric measurements.

"Oh, you can't use Metric in this house. It was built on feet and inches."

Finally, this topic, though I'm sure Fitmic didn't intend this in any way, is usually used to beat Americans over the head about their recalcitrant attitude regarding Metric. Yet another reason why the rest of the world just doesn't get or want to get American individuality.

What can you do, right? :)

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Victoria Newbie

Victoria

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BTW , this is how the Fahrenheit scale feels to people used to the metric system (and the other way around :)

You know, I NEVER have felt truly comfortable hearing weather forecasts in Metric.

31C means nothing to me. 88F, ah, typical SoFla day.

Similarly, if someone tells me the temperature outside is 15C, I check around to see if somehow I teleported to Nanuq's home. :)

PS: On currencies: it is not about convenience and differences of measurement. The reason we can’t have one currency has to do with money markets and macroeconomics.

Yes, absolutely.

I genuinely and truly do not understand why some people seem almost offended at cultural differences. I preferred the Lira, I preferred the DM, I preferred Escudo (heh, I'm sure THEY prefer the Euro). ;)

Maybe it's because I'm (wait for it) a Historian, and find the trajectory each culture used tells the story of human life.

Take that away, and the world is the more vanilla for it.

But I'm not trenchant about the topic either. If change is afoot, then it could be ametric.

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Guest TTK

Guest TTK

Posted
Posted (edited)

My experience has always shown that women grasp it more quickly when I tell them I have a 12" John T homas....more so than when I tell them it's a 25cm one...imperial rules......especially when you have an Imperial ruler.....B)

Edited by TTK
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phaedo Newbie

phaedo

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My experience has always shown that women grasp it more quickly when I tell them I have a 12" John T homas....more so than when I tell them it's a 25cm one...imperial rules......especially when you have an Imperial ruler.....B)

Is that when women grasp it, or grasp 'it' ;)

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offshore Newbie

offshore

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Seriously, topics like this can start WW3!

However I'll put my two bobs worth (or 20c :p in!)

I have lived in a country, which decided to both decimalise it's currency, and convert to the metric system of measurement

(in my lifetime)

These processes were extremely costly, maybe for the better... who would know?... but the effects will be felt for a complete generation, (at least)

I was fortunate that our currency change was whilst I was relatively young, so I didn't have the burden of entrenched thinking and practices in that. (However older people still struggle to this day) My mother at 84 can still mentally tell you what 28 x 3-12-6.. (Thats 3 pounds 12 shillings and sixpence) is! Or any number of these mental arithmetic exercises. But don't ask her about 27 X 1$1.87... she would require a calculator!

However metrication occurred later in my life, and I never (and still haven't) got my head around all of it.

As an example, I was a SCUBA instructor, teaching students diving theory, in ft, psi etc. So we move to M, bar,... sure the conversions are relatively easy but when there become multiple calculations, for which experience has given you the correct answers, it is always difficult to apply those mental "prooves" to be absolutely sure your final calc is correct.

I used to fill SCUBA cylinders daily. I knew that a 72 cu/ft cylinder, rapidly filled would generate a degree of heat. Fill pressure was 2250 psi, but we used to overfill to 2450 psi as when cooled the pressure would decrease.

However... on a HOT day.... so the conversions start to become complex.

I could rattle on about the partial pressure of O2, as applied to deep diving, in fresh and salt water ( it differs) and at altitude, and the life threatening variables found in these equations... but my example is really that there are a multitude of things to weigh up before drastic steps such as these are taken.

I beleive the costs to metricate Australia, ran in to the billions for governmnet, and at least as much again for the private sector.

And to convert all driving to RH, (or LH)... don't make me laugh, vehicle conversion would be rediculous from a $$ point, but think of the infrastructure costs on roads and freeways.... the mind boggles.

For mine... If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Offshore

PS BTW, TTK... was that dimension length....or circumference? I've seen the pics!

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iglutikut Newbie

iglutikut

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Posted

mile = 10 000 metres?

being in Canada, and using the metric system.. that is way off. :)

mile = 1609.3* metres

I agree people are diffrent but just look at the logic here ....

Inch/feet etc

1 inch (in)

1 foot (ft) 12 in

1 yard (yd) 3 ft

1 mile (mi) 5,280 ft

Metric system

metre (common base unit)

mile = 10 000 metres

kilometre = 1000 metres

decimetre = 1⁄10 of a metre or 0,1 metres

centimetre = 1⁄100 of a metre or 0,01 metres

millimetre = 1⁄1000 of a metre or 0,001 metres

Which of the systems seems more logic/modern too you ?

Dont wanna start a war here, this is just my 2 cents.

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maxmilian Newbie

maxmilian

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mile = 10 000 metres?

being in Canada, and using the metric system.. that is way off. :)

mile = 1609.3* metres

I dont know how you do it over in canada but here in Europe we have a mile = 10 km aka 10 000 m, we also have an "english mile" which is never used other then in track and field and then again not very often, which is the one you are reffering to. but its not a part of the metric system.

Edit: After looking into it more it seems like the mile = 10 km is only used in Scandinavia, Finland excluded in rest of Europe only km are used, still the english mile 1609.3* is not a part of the metric system obviusly, the Scandinavian mile is also not a part o the metric system but its use the same logic.

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juanjulio Newbie

juanjulio

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Posted (edited)

Since we are all going to use the metric system, the same currency, etc., etc., I guess we all need to be of the same religion as well (even if some don't believe in organized religion). I am so happy there is someone out there that can tell me not only what I need to do, but what my country needs to do, as well as the rest of the world. It really sucks to have diversity amongst people of the world. Oh yeah, what language are we going to all speak? Just thought I would ask?

-J

Edited by juanjulio
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Bazz Newbie

Bazz

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I think ultimately it has to do with which you are brought up with.

You know, I NEVER have felt truly comfortable hearing weather forecasts in Metric.

31C means nothing to me. 88F, ah, typical SoFla day.

Im the opposite 88F means nothing to me. 31C, ah, typical Queensland day.

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