The US should switch to metric

[MRT144]

I think the metric system is great in everything but temperature. The thing i like about the standard system is that 80 degrees is a hell of a lot different than 60, and 60 a lot different than 40. in metric terms quantifying temperatures for the weather is bizarre and strange.

[Buck Birdseed]

Different metric cultures use different metric subdivisions. In Sweden the Hektogram (100 grams) is quite commonly used, as is the Centilitre (1/100 of a litre) on bottles. In Hungary by far the most common measure of weight is the Dekagram (10 grams)...

[MikeH]

Why is that any different to any of the other measurements? It's just what you are used to. In Metric 10C is a lot different to 20C. *shrug*

[MRT144]

but its not as precise. and thats the problem i have with it.

[catullus]

Asher and AH are, of course, wrong. They're just used to the old system, and can't quite comprehend the new one.
No contest, metric is easier. Not the individual unit. Almost any unit of measurement is as good as any other(*). Claiming acre to be easier is than hectar, or Celsius better than Fahrenheit is hogwash. But as a complete system, metrics are not equalled by anything.

Tough to learn, of course, better to un-learn first.

I remember when they switched for hp to kW in measuring engine power over here. I still find myself converting back when I read auto magazines.

C.
(*) With the exception of some weirdo-systems like the inch-foot-yard-mile measurements. Pure evil.

[Combat Ingrid]

http://lamar.colostate.edu/~hillger/internat.htm

According to a survey taken several years ago, the only other countries (besides the US) that have not officially adopted the metric system are Liberia (in western Africa) and Myanmar (also known as Burma, in southeast Asia).

[DAVOUT]

Sorry for those who advocate for the US to adopt the metric system, but when M. Bush will realize where it originates from, it will no longer be an issue ...

[Saint Marcus]

but its not as precise. and thats the problem i have with it.

So you're in favor of creating a system to measure the temperature in in which freezing temperature is 257 and boiling temperature is 49056.

This way, 7089 is a lot different from 15982.

Talk about precise.

(in short, I don't understand your comment. You find the difference between 10 and 20 degrees celsius less precise than the difference between 80 and 60 degrees fahrenheit. why?)

[MRT144]

yes saint marcus, thats what i said. why not put more words in my mouth?

its because of the way in which we percieve temperature. i have no problem with celcius for science. but for weather reports fahrenheit is great because you can percieve a greater difference in the temperatures reported.

[Chemical Ollie]

The 5 % of the world population that stubbornly stick to inches and gallons should just give in. Let the French meter rule!

[Harovan]

Originally posted by MRT144
but its not as precise. and thats the problem i have with it.

By your logic, centimeters are undoubtly more precise than inches. Would you adopt those?

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by MRT144
its because of the way in which we percieve temperature. i have no problem with celcius for science. but for weather reports fahrenheit is great because you can percieve a greater difference in the temperatures reported.

That's because you are so bloody ingrained with Fahrenheit. For me, I don't know how cold or hot 68°F is, on the other hand, I know exactly how cold or hot 18°C is.

[Saint Marcus]

but for weather reports fahrenheit is great because you can percieve a greater difference in the temperatures reported.

by that logic, my system would be better since you can percieve a greater difference in temperatures reported. After all, there's a huge difference between 8765 and 13489, don't you agree?

[Harovan]

Fahrenheit may be more "precise" (well, not really, you always could use decimals with Celsius), this precision is not really necessary for everyday's use. There's almost no difference between 65F and 66F, and in the weather prognoses degrees are seldom used, they say "high sixties" or "low seventies", so much for the higher precision.

When I use Celsius, I find temperatures below 0 "icy" and I dress really warm, 0-10 is "cool" and I still dress warm, 10-20 is "moderate" and I need a light jacket, 20-30 is "warm" and I wear a T-shirt, and above 30 is "hot" and I avoid to go out. That's my (central european) perception of temperature. Celsius fits it nicely. I don't need that precision, anyway.

[MikeH]

My southern UK definition of temperature.

Anything below 5 is cold, wear a coat hat etc. 5-10 is cold, 10-15 is moderate 15-22 is hot, wear a t-shirt. 23+ is an unbearable furnace of hell.

[Bosh]

I think the metric system is great in everything but temperature.

Nah, tempature is what metric's best at. After living in scandinavia for a few years a loooooooooong time ago my whole family thinks in metric when it gets cold but uses metric for nothing else (including summer temperatures ). Having 0 be freezing just makes so much sense.

[Harovan]

Wow, you find room temperature (~18°C) hot?

[gunkulator]

Temperature fluctuations are fairly large in the US, especially in the northeast Fahrenheit fits nicely since almost any day will be between 0 and 100 degrees F. Anything below 0 is "really really cold" anything above 100 is "really really hot". -18 C to +38 C just doesn't have the same feel.

Other than temperature though, metric is superior IMHO.

[Zkribbler]

It's time that America left behind the 18th-Century imperial standard and dove headlong into the 19th-Century metric standard.

So how many pecks in a hogshead and how many square feet in an acre?

[Apocalypse]

Originally posted by Asher
I find feet/inches better for every-day things like describing people

[Demerzel]

sorry to be picky but its centimetre and metre.

I prefer the metric system despite having a very mixed education where metric was pushed but imperial still occured.

I find metric fine in temperature matters too, 9- is cold, 10 - 14 is cool, 15 -20 is warm, 21 - 25 is hot and 26+ is bloody boiling.

[Bosh]

pussies
-15 is when it gets cold and 40 is when it gets hot (trying puting up with 40 in a non-air conditioned brick classroom in bolivia )

[MikeH]

Originally posted by Sir Ralph
Wow, you find room temperature (~18°C) hot?

That was English self deprecating humour.

[Panag]

Originally posted by Odin
Why is my country so stubborn when it comes to switching to the metric system? I laugh everytime a person has to use a calculator to convert pounds to ounces or feet to miles; if it was metric one would only have to divide or multiply by powers of 10. I am sick of having to convert degrees F to degrees C when I read scientific things.

hi ,

, you should have put a poll up

ones you are in the states , you dont have to worry , the weather is given at cnn in both c and f , .....

the distances are in miles , ....

the other way in europe , ....

dont worry , homeland defense says its great for confusing future terrorist's , .....

have a nice day both in imperial , metric and us

[Oerdin]

In the long run it would be good to switch to metric but we won't just like the British will never switch to left hand drive cars.

I must confess I have never known how long a furlong is nor exactly how many hands are in a foot but for some reason all the horse racing info is always in these units.

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by Oerdin
I must confess I have never known how long a furlong is

220yds or 1/8th of a mile. IIRC.

[Skanky Burns]

Originally posted by DAVOUT
Sorry for those who advocate for the US to adopt the metric system, but when M. Bush will realize where it originates from, it will no longer be an issue ...

Thankfully he never will realize where it originated from.

[Odin]

Originally posted by Skanky Burns
Thankfully he never will realize where it originated from.

Clue:

LIBERTY
EQUALITY
FRATERNITY

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
We've had metric for more than 20 years but I still roughly convert some things like weight, distance and area.

That's because my main beef with metric is that some of the standard units are too small or large. For example a mile is a good distance whereas a kilometre seems a bit short. Conversely an acre is an area you can visualise but a hectare is too large.

IIRC, the metric system came from the French enlightenment, and as such I come from the country which is most used to the metric system.

The things you are referring to (kilometres being a bit short, feet being a convenient measure for a person's size etc.) are very bound to the being used with one system or another. I personally am 1,76 metres high, and it is very precise in ym head. OTOH, if you tell me I'm 5+something feet, I won't understand what you are talking about.
The French authoirities imposed the metric system at a large scale in the education system at late 19th century, and it was difficult for a whole generation , like evey time a paradigm changes. However, for us post-19th-century French people (and Europeans in general except for the backwards Rosbifs ), measures are now much, much more convenient. Once you are used to it, you picture an hectare much better than an acre, or you picture a centimetre much better than 1/3 of an inch. The key is really in being used to it.

The metric system is undoubtedly more easy and more rational than the imperial system (I think that's the name). But I agree it would take a whole generation to be fully used to it, which isn't easy.
When I was in the US, I noticed most maps were in metric as well as imperial. I thought it was a step in the good, metric, direction

[Skanky Burns]

Well in America you have the scientists and the drug dealers both using metric everyday. Its inevitable that it will spread to other professions.