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Thread: Why doesn't the US adopt the metric system?

  1. #1
    IronBrig4's Avatar Good Matey
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    Default Why doesn't the US adopt the metric system?

    Seriously, this grinds my gears. It's infuriatingly primitive. The metric system is much easier to use, and adopting it would be so practical since everybody else is using it. Who else uses the Imperial system? Myanmar? Liberia?

    Some would argue that the Imperial system is just too deeply ingrained in the US. But what about Britain? They developed the Imperial system, and they switched over to the metric system without any major problems. The dimensions of the soccer pitch are still the same, just like the dimensions for American football fields will remain the same.

    Is it laziness, stubborness, or what?

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  2. #2

    Default Re: Why doesn't the US adopt the metric system?

    Its just the mentality of being different I guess.


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    Giorgos's Avatar Deus Ex Machina
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    Default Re: Why doesn't the US adopt the metric system?

    So is the mentality of the English.


  4. #4

    Default Re: Why doesn't the US adopt the metric system?

    We don't use the imperial system... not unless it is used in conjuction with the metric. Lots of older people do not understand metric.

  5. #5

    Default Re: Why doesn't the US adopt the metric system?

    apart from pint glasses which will always be a pint, the rest of it can all go its completely useless.
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    Evariste's Avatar We are one, we are many
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    Default Re: Why doesn't the US adopt the metric system?

    The government pushed it hard in the seventies, and it didn't work out.


    Why?



    I don't know, I wasn't there.

  7. #7
    Bokks's Avatar Thinking outside Myself
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    Default Re: Why doesn't the US adopt the metric system?

    There was a practical idea that I came up with, but I can't remember.
    Well, it had to do with the difference of fahrenheit and celcius, since they're at the heart of the issue too. Actually, this connects to Al Gore winning that stupid Nobel Peace Prize and completely nullifying the validity of the whole thing.
    The thing is that fahrenheit is much more sensitive than celcius; the global catastrophy that Gore is talking about--which is a catastrophy but he destroys the argument--is a difference of two to three degrees in the next 15-20 years... in fahrenheit. That difference doesn't even regester in celcius.
    Now, yeah, it's hard to remember that water freezes at 32 and boils at 212 instead of 0 and 100, but hey, you can remember that, and the sensitivity to see anomolies like that is far more valuable.
    As for distance, well, I could argue that it would screw up American architecture; football fields wouldn't be the only thing that changes, (but yes, since football is also very sensitive from yards to meters, the fact that a meter is a little bit bigger than a yard would have some unforseen consequences, in soccer that problem doesn't really arise) but buildings themselves are incredibly sensitive to such differences. The thing there is, though, that a 2X4 has ceased to be a 2X4 for about 30 years now. (they're 2X3.5, I believe... this is talking about lumber by the way)
    So, why do I prefer the Imperial system over the metric? I like feet; a meter is just too big to me, and feet is the perfect size. Should I want to, I can divide whatever number by 3: there are the yards, like I said before, a little smaller than meters, but that's fine by me. Again, it's wierd to think that a mile is 5,280 feet, but hey, that's life.
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  8. #8

    Default Re: Why doesn't the US adopt the metric system?

    Dude... Have you not yet figured out that you can have fragments of celsius as well? You do not need to have full degrees.

    Example: temperature of 16,3 celsius degrees.

    And if meter is too big for you, use decimeters. 10 decimeters is 1 meter. Or centimeters, 100 of those is 1 meter.

    Hell, if you want to go smaller there are milli, micro, nano, piko...


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  9. #9
    Bokks's Avatar Thinking outside Myself
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    Default Re: Why doesn't the US adopt the metric system?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tiwaz View Post
    Dude... Have you not yet figured out that you can have fragments of celsius as well? You do not need to have full degrees.

    Example: temperature of 16,3 celsius degrees.
    I have never seen a fragment of a degree, celcius or otherwise: not when I drive by the banks that show both, not when I went to Germany.

    Ok, scratch that, my cell phone uses fragments, there's this translation feature, and when you change fahrenheit to celcius it goes into the hundred-thousanths range. Never in use have I seen that, though. Where do you live?

    Oh, and I've tried decimeters, actually it was funny because I knew about them when a lot of teachers didn't, so when they insisted on trying to change us and they didn't know the whole system I had to laugh. Still, though, decimeters are too small. there's nothing in metric that quite equals a foot, and to me personally the foot is a perfect measurement.
    I like inches over centimeters, too.
    Last edited by Bokks; December 04, 2007 at 08:10 AM. Reason: add-on
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    Default Re: Why doesn't the US adopt the metric system?

    '12" is my favourite size' seems to bit a rather odd argument. 30cm. Just the perfect size for.. well.. a 12" ruler.

    Britain isn't entirely metric. We still use Miles rather than Kilometres. We still have Pints, horses race down Furlongs and paper sizes can hardly be described as 'metric'. Even now i think of sizes going through the metric scale till meters, then at 1500 somewhere it just becomes miles. Mph make more sense to me than Kph (or even metres/second) do, but it is a familiarity thing.

    I guess the base-10 system of metric is just a lot easier than an arbitrary collection of rods, poles, chains, furlongs and leagues etc. I'm quite glad I never had to deal with £,s,d - though owning a Crown or a Sovereign seems so much nicer than just more £'s.

  11. #11

    Default Re: Why doesn't the US adopt the metric system?

    Quote Originally Posted by Lector V View Post
    I have never seen a fragment of a degree, celcius or otherwise: not when I drive by the banks that show both, not when I went to Germany.

    Ok, scratch that, my cell phone uses fragments, there's this translation feature, and when you change fahrenheit to celcius it goes into the hundred-thousanths range. Never in use have I seen that, though. Where do you live?
    You do not see it used since having many decimals of accuracy is useless in daily life. Or does it make huge difference to you if it is 1F hotter or colder?

    So in everyday life only full degrees are shown. But as we deal with scientific world, lots of decimals are introduced.

    Oh, and I've tried decimeters, actually it was funny because I knew about them when a lot of teachers didn't, so when they insisted on trying to change us and they didn't know the whole system I had to laugh. Still, though, decimeters are too small. there's nothing in metric that quite equals a foot, and to me personally the foot is a perfect measurement.
    I like inches over centimeters, too.
    And foot is so damn arbitary number that it gives me headache. It just does not fit anywhere in my opinion, question of what you are used to.

    But reality is Imperial measures are just too clumsy for accurate work.

    How it goes? Inch, foot, yard and mile?

    What about smaller things below inches...


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    Big War Bird's Avatar Vicarius Provinciae
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    Default Re: Why doesn't the US adopt the metric system?

    Why doesn't America use metric?

    The imperial system is built into our geography. In a planned city there is a road every 1/10 of a mile. If you are at 10th street and need to travel 35th street, you travel 2.5 miles.

    It's in our games. A football field is 100 yards, the free throw line is 15 feet from the basket, home to first base is 90 feet.

    Its in the way we define many other things. A "tall" is over 6'. 100 mph is really driving fast. A foot, ironically enough, is about the length of my foot.
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    IronBrig4's Avatar Good Matey
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    Default Re: Why doesn't the US adopt the metric system?

    Quote Originally Posted by Big War Bird View Post
    It's in our games. A football field is 100 yards, the free throw line is 15 feet from the basket, home to first base is 90 feet.

    Its in the way we define many other things. A "tall" is over 6'. 100 mph is really driving fast. A foot, ironically enough, is about the length of my foot.
    Soccer (REAL football) pitches are still measured in yards. Many key aspects of British daily life are still measured by the Imperial system, but they use the metric system for everything else.

    Football fields will STILL be divided into 100 yards, the length between bases on a baseball diamond will STILL be 90 feet. What's the harm in switching everything else over to the metric system?

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  14. #14

    Default Re: Why doesn't the US adopt the metric system?

    indeed a cricket strip is still 22yards and a rugby pitch still has a 25 yard line (its just called a 22 metre line now)
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    Farnan's Avatar Saviors of the Japanese
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    Default Re: Why doesn't the US adopt the metric system?

    See the US has adopted the metric system. We've combined it with the Imperial system. The Metric system is used by professional bodies that deal with those matters, and the Imperial system is used for everyday life.
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  16. #16

    Default Re: Why doesn't the US adopt the metric system?

    If you have an education you are exposed to the metric system every day.

    There is really no reason to change it.... what is the difference for the public to drive 55 MPH or 80 KPH?

    Obviously if you are in some scientific field you use the metric system so really it has no effect on the general public other than giving people a confusion in gas prices in other countries.
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  17. #17

    Default Re: Why doesn't the US adopt the metric system?

    See the US has adopted the metric system. We've combined it with the Imperial system. The Metric system is used by professional bodies that deal with those matters, and the Imperial system is used for everyday life.
    Except NASA who use both...

    I declare in behalf of Americans, Canadians, Rugby fans, and Australians that soccer is NOT real football. Its pussy no-contact girl football.
    and i declare on behalf of people who care about reality that soccer is the original football of which all other 'football' games are but mere offshoots (in the case of rugby an offshoot that grew up and strangled the parent by being ****ing awesome)
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    Big War Bird's Avatar Vicarius Provinciae
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    Default Re: Why doesn't the US adopt the metric system?

    Quote Originally Posted by Gary88 View Post
    and i declare on behalf of people who care about reality that soccer is the original football of which all other 'football' games are but mere offshoots (in the case of rugby an offshoot that grew up and strangled the parent by being ****ing awesome)
    Soccer should be called football everwhere, I agree. American Football should be renamed Men's Football.
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  19. #19
    Bovril's Avatar Primicerius
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    Default Re: Why doesn't the US adopt the metric system?

    I don't see this as a problem. American scientists use the metric system, and that's pretty much all that matters. The rest seems to me to be down to personal taste and aesthetics.

  20. #20

    Default Re: Why doesn't the US adopt the metric system?

    America has, in theory, adopted the metric system but the push for it has stopped.
    Why?
    The actual benefits would be negligible, and it's a giant pain in the ass to promote. Now that no one party has clear dominance, political capital is sparse and is used towards more vote getting issues.





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