Metric

9mm is actually closer to a .357
Reply to
Leon
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So is a .38 Special.

nb

Reply to
notbob

I think that we should stop using both the 'English' system of measurements (which is used in the US) and the metric system. At the same time we should also stop using decimal notation for representing numbers.

All of the present measurements systems are based upon silly anthropomorphic considerations. Instead we should switch to using Planck units and hexadecimal.

Both the English and metric systems have too many funny constants and conversion factors. (The pro metric people claim that they don't but they are there. I.e. how many calories are there in a joule: 0.239005736 or erg: 2.39005736x10^-8 . How many calories are there in a Calorie: 1000 (Calling the kilocalorie a Calorie is really silly), etc.). Planck units simplify things. For instance, Einstein's famous equation e = m*c^2 is simply e = m. (The c^2 is in the equation simply because we measure energy and mass in different funny units.)

For more information on Planck units see:

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Likewise the use of decimal (base 10) for representing numbers is based on the minor detail that people have 10 fingers. Since most people have stopped doing arithmetic on their fingers, we should switch to a more rational base for our number system. Ask any computer and it will tell you that binary is much more rational. The only disadvantage of binary is that it takes a bunch of digits to represent anything useful. Hexadecimal reduces the binary digit count by a factor of four. Most numbers take fewer digits in hex than in decimal.

Some of the other discussions in this thread have pointed out that the decimal system (and the metric system) is great if you want to scale by 10 but is a pain if you are only trying to scale down by 2. Binary (and hexadecimal) works well for scaling by 2, 4, 8, or 16, etc.

For more information on Hexadecimal see:

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Dan

Reply to
Dan Coby

Counter argument in support of base ten:

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nb

Reply to
notbob

It would be considerably less expensive to change the law on handguns.

Reply to
HeyBub

So's a .38.

Reply to
J. Clarke

On 9/9/2009 11:12 AM notbob spake thus:

Gotcha.

OK, new question: how big is an RCH? (Sorry if this has been covered here before ad nasueam.)

I read one comment on a web page[1] that claimed it was 1/200" (OK, for those who prefer fake units of measurement, that's 0.127mm).

[1]
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which has interesting units like the "jerk" and the "sagan".
Reply to
David Nebenzahl

On 9/9/2009 4:21 PM Dan Coby spake thus:

OK, I want to see how adept you are at hex arithmetic. Quick: what are

  1. A09E + B1AF
  2. 79 * AAAA
  3. 2179 / 9D2

Show your work.

Reply to
David Nebenzahl

Science has been using the metric system since early on. The inch foot pound ... is clunky when dealing in volumes.

For the apple crate maker - do as he wants.

When dealing with numbers, the base 10 is always easier than some base this and some that and gradients in this and that ....

Science in the US is metric. It is the home folk and the building trades - general trades that remain that way.

Wood and metal people have different resolutions that cause issues. A metal person is in 1/10000 while a wood guy might be 1/16 1/8 1/4 and so forth e.g. more or less.

Schools taught metric, but they themselves don't use it. It is a classroom exercise not a way of life. Teachers don't want to learn it and use it like anyone else.

Slowly it is creeping into food storage. Machine bolts and such are mandated to go metric - and at first were Imperial just denoted in metric values. Sucky way at best.

There were at least three metric systems. It isn't a French system. It is a standard - a unified German, British, French and Japanese. Oh - the US had people there - and they agreed. And yes the standard is generated in France.

It was the measure used in the bible. It is much older than England or Britain.

I use metric all the time. I use Imperial all the time. I don't stick to one or the other. I have tools of both houses.

Mart> Ed Edelenbos wrote:

Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn

I dunno... they hire French engineers to do the hard work? The work that requires thought?

They do it out of desperation, hoping they can recover some small part of the business they've lost to foreign manufacturers who changed over 50 years ago.

Ed

Reply to
Ed Edelenbos

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tall scale on the right. select it - comes in metric if wanted - software.

Mart> >

Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn

11 A09E + B1AF ----- 1524D

AAAA x 79 ----- 5FFFA 4AAA6 ------ 50AA5A

3.6894 ______ 9D2 | 2179 1D76 ----- 4030 3AEC ----- 5440 4E90 ---- 5B00 5862 ---- 29E0 2748 ---- 298
Reply to
Dan Coby

Nope, not a flick person

Comment was based on mt experiences sailing across Lake Erie or Lake Huron to various ports in Ontairo and checking in with customs.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

A09E

+B1AF

-----

1524D

(79 * A = 4BA)

4BA 4BA 4BA 4BA

------

50AA5A

(division by repeated subtraction)

2179

-9D2

----

17A7

-9D2

---- DD5

-9D2

---- 403

3 R403

Hmm - do you really have a calculator phobia?

Reply to
Morris Dovey

In article <iaYpm.704984$ snipped-for-privacy@en-nntp-02.dc.easynews.com>, "Martin H. Eastburn" snipped-for-privacy@consolidated.net wrote: [...]

The metric system? Used in the Bible? I don't think so.

Reply to
Doug Miller

Typical Michael Moore "facts". The truth is that gun ownership per capita in the U.S. is almost _three times_ the rate in Canada.

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Reply to
Doug Miller

What's 18.5" divided by 3?

-Kevin

Reply to
Kevin

There are 10 commandments but most people use only a fraction of them.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Dollars are 10 based, just like metric, and it works. You seem to think is is bizarre.

They are your health care providers for starters.

Metric users are becoming the majority. Forward looking companies are making their products with metric hardware so they can export them. Too often, people lose sight of the world economy and the requirements of some countries with standards. They don't want inches any more than we wanted metric imported cars. That has been a sticking point with exporting in the automobile industry for many years.

When our company started buying Austrian made machines, it was a little learning curve. Like others I was a bit apprehensive about learning a new system. Once I did, I found it easier to work with, as have all of our supervisors, maintenance people, and so forth. Some are just afraid of change, afraid of having to learn a new different system.

Some of our industry tooling suppliers resisted the change and started to lose a lot of business. There has not been a US maker of our type of equipment for over 25 years so it was adapt or lose. A few went out of business, the others easily adapted and are doing well. In the future, it will be adapt or die. Do you want to be a part of the rest of the world? Perhaps you don't have to, but with more and more of our business being international, I prefer to adapt. Doing our little part of offset the trade imbalance.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

"French engineers" is an oxymoron.

And you think that metric had something to do with that?

Reply to
J. Clarke

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