OT The metric conversion of the US would happen if they taught it in school.

[Metspitzer]

There is no reason to even speak about the US standard. Any US conversions will be when it happens in the real world.

Now playing: One Eskimo, Kandi

[willshak]

Metspitzer wrote the following:

My kids were learning the metric system when they were in elementary school in the 1960s.

[notbob]

It's already happened. Looked at a container of liquid, lately? It's already taught in schools. Perhaps not in K-12, but the minute you go on to higher education, it's ALL metric. If you can't handle it, hit the road, dolt! Machine tools and have all been in both SAE and metric for decades. Most mechanical devices, from cars to toys, are made with metric fasteners.

I think the primary reason the drive to change to metric petered out back in the 70s is because the govt realized they'd have to pay to change all those mile road markers to kilometers and reprint all the milage signs. Weighed against losing votes to raise taxes and/or not getting a raise in congress, screw a buncha metric! ;)

nb

[ChrisCoaster]

Not Off Topic one bit! In home repairs the ability to measure and convert between the two systems is a more powerful tool than anything made by Stanley or Craftsman.

-CC

[Kurt Ullman]

I vaguely remember getting confused by the metric system when I was in school in the late 60s and early 70s.

[Percival P. Cassidy]

My late mother-in-law, who immigrated to the USA from Europe when she was in her 40s, said that if she could get used to all these strange non-decimal-based US weights and measures, any Americans could learn the metric system if they started early.

Perce

[Harry K]

I don't remember about elementary school but it was in high school in early 50s. I spent 6 years (two 3 year tours) in Germany and used all metric for my home projects. Much, much simpler than this stupid system we are stuck with.

IIANM the first attempt to force the nation to change was in the late

60s.

Harry K

[Attila.Iskander]

And if memory serves, the Military uses Metric, and many industries too.

[Larry W]

The US considered a switch to the metric system in Thomas Jefferson's time. Imagine how much simpler it would have been then, before the industrialization of the late 19th & 20th centuries.

[Frank]

Even working in the chemical industry in a laboratory, they would still convert an analysis to add something to the process from grams/ liter to pounds/gallon going from the laboratory to the plant. Kind of stupid and open to error.

Not sure the Brits have fully converted. They still weigh themselves in stones ;)

[Harry K]

I am surprised. this is the first thread I have seen where a bunch of retards haven't jumped in trying to defend the non-metric system.

One of the most commong objections is "I won't know what wrench to use" while ignoring the fact that they haven't looked at the size of wrench they grab for a long long time. I need a 9/16 I grab "that" wrench and amazingly it is the right size. Would work just the same in metric except there wouldn't be nearly as many in a set.

I just checked a few items in the fridge, bread, milk, water, butter, ketchup. All had metric equivalents listed on them but only the water bottle was in metric (750 ml).

Harry K

Harry K

Harry K

[Charlie]

There is no US system. You stole ours.

We didn't steal it. It was foisted on us. Can you think "white elephant"?

Charlie

[Jules Richardson]

I grew up in England with speeds and distances using Imperial measurements, but just about everything else using metric, and it never seemed like a big deal - distance signs are really only there to provide an estimate of how long a journey's going to take, and drive for any length of time and you get a feel for where the vehicle's at in relation to the signed speed limit anyway. It may as well all be in furlongs and furlongs/minute for all I care.

When it comes to precise measurements, I do find that metric suits me better for smaller-scale work, and yards/feet/inches works better for e.g. working on the house, so I routinely make use of both. Thankfully I don't work for NASA. :-)

Oh, I've got a couple of kids in middle school and one in elementary; they seem to work in both systems interchangeably.

cheers

Jules

[Charlie]

Teaching is one thing but it doesn't really stick.

What is needed is some of those old systems follow the migration path of the liter. Consider the 16" standard for stud spacing. Change it to metric and in a while some building wall will be able to estimate the number of metrically spaced studs.

On a personal experience I had a very nice teak wall system using standards and brackets that came from Denmark. The challenge was mounting standards that were designed for metric walls on a USA wall and attaching them to studs. And another thing would be to start packaging goods in kilograms. You can heft a package and guess that it weighed about 5 pounds. Until you can judge a couple of kilos that way you will never become adept at the conversion.

And one of my favorite set of road signs was on I19 that runs from Tucson to the Mexican border. The first sign said "This road is signed in metrics". The very next sign gave the speed limit in mph.

In my present home state you will find signs that inform you that the next exit is 1 1/4 miles ahead. Strange because I have never seen an odometer in 1/4 mile increments. But it translates to 2 km.

Charlie

[The Daring Dufas]

Hubble needed you, where were you? ^_^

TDD

[Ed Pawlowski]

Women don't wear bras in your country?

[Harry K]

Yep. Those picnickers were scrambling and piloting an engine out 747 to a safe landing...Wow!

Harry K

[The Daring Dufas]

It wasn't a 747, it was a 767 twin engine airliner. ^_^

TDD

[Davej]

Yes, we never get the feel for it. Plenty of US kids learn the metric system in school, but they never get to the point where they can estimate how much something weighs in Kilograms or estimate how many Liters a quantity of liquid is.

[willshak]

Having to Learn something that one may never use in real live is a waste of time and money. Classes teaching metrics should be limited to those who intend to go on to careers where metrics are actually used. It's like having to learn Latin.