Poll: I hate the imperial system. America, I'm looking at you! Give it up, metric is simply better!!!!
- Thread starter ApeShapeDeity
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Spoken like a true American.Radeonx said:
Why do we use something that nobody else does or that makes sense? Because we're America. Fuck yeah.
Yeah, we should just switch to metric, it makes fuckloads more sense.
Britain moved over to metric, and we sure didn't fight it, I'm just looking at my milk bottle, no more do we buy a pint of milk, we buy a 568ml container of milk instead.
That's how it's legally got to be labelled. All that did was make us use 'some' of the measurements and mix them in with the old ones.
Sure, we put '1 pint' right next to it, and ask for a pint in the shop, and refer to most fluids in pints and gallons, except for soft drinks and petrol, which are sold in litres.
Just out of curiousity, how much is gas over there? We're currently paying $2 a litre or around $7.50 a gallon.
One advantage to the whole metric/imperial thing is the hilarious 'Europe coming to take over our Great Nation with their rulings' bullshit that packs the newspapers.
There was recently a set of headlines stating as fact that UK stores would no longer be able sell eggs by the six or dozen, instead having sell them by weight in grams.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1289882/EU-ban-selling-eggs-dozen-Shopkeepers-fury-told-food-weighed-sold-kilo.html
Which of course had been thoroughly researched by the use of a proctologist's finger, all data having been pulled straight out of someone's arse.
Turns out the facts were that EU regulations meant that a box of 6 eggs would have to have the weight in grams stamped on the box somewhere. That's it. They'd still clearly be 'six' eggs'. Fuckwits.
That's how it's legally got to be labelled. All that did was make us use 'some' of the measurements and mix them in with the old ones.
Sure, we put '1 pint' right next to it, and ask for a pint in the shop, and refer to most fluids in pints and gallons, except for soft drinks and petrol, which are sold in litres.
Just out of curiousity, how much is gas over there? We're currently paying $2 a litre or around $7.50 a gallon.
One advantage to the whole metric/imperial thing is the hilarious 'Europe coming to take over our Great Nation with their rulings' bullshit that packs the newspapers.
There was recently a set of headlines stating as fact that UK stores would no longer be able sell eggs by the six or dozen, instead having sell them by weight in grams.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1289882/EU-ban-selling-eggs-dozen-Shopkeepers-fury-told-food-weighed-sold-kilo.html
Which of course had been thoroughly researched by the use of a proctologist's finger, all data having been pulled straight out of someone's arse.
Turns out the facts were that EU regulations meant that a box of 6 eggs would have to have the weight in grams stamped on the box somewhere. That's it. They'd still clearly be 'six' eggs'. Fuckwits.
C'mon America, join the rest of the world! We're not so bad, once you get to know us.
On another note, why don't we change to a base-twelve system for counting things. Would make multiplication much more fun.
Even if you are using sarcasm, some people don't take it like that. If you have an opinion then express it, that is what makes this country great. But do it without making us look like monkeys on the world stage. Like I said I agree with you but also don't forget that this site is a multinational website.Radeonx said:
meh . . . take it or leave it. Being a mechanic, you get used to having to contend with numerous different systems - domestics still like the imperial system, asian love metric and european prefer martian systems.
It's a bit of a PITA to have to convert foot pounds to newton-meters, celsius to fareinheit, cubic centermeter to cubic feet, inches to millimeters and all throughout the day, but you get used to it.
The biggest headache for us, though, is having to have two sets of all our primary tools - as if our tools weren't expensive enough, we need a set of "standard" and metric sockets and wrenches.
It's a bit of a PITA to have to convert foot pounds to newton-meters, celsius to fareinheit, cubic centermeter to cubic feet, inches to millimeters and all throughout the day, but you get used to it.
The biggest headache for us, though, is having to have two sets of all our primary tools - as if our tools weren't expensive enough, we need a set of "standard" and metric sockets and wrenches.
Umm, what?Benjamin Grant said:
My sarcasm was taking the typical extremist American stereotype and using it in a situation like this. A multi-national site has no effect, because it is the clear stereotype of the extremist Americans in the joke.
And "making us look like monkeys"? What? that makes no sense.
It was clearly a joke and the only monkeys here are the people who weren't able to comprehend that.
We tried to change in the 70s or early 80s, but the Metric System stuck only with the Soda industry for whatever reason.
Anyway, I say we use a mix.
Total Metric for any Scientific studies or data.
Imperial & Metric for Height & Weight.
Metric for Temperature.
Imperial & Metric for Distance.
Anyway, I say we use a mix.
Total Metric for any Scientific studies or data.
Imperial & Metric for Height & Weight.
Metric for Temperature.
Imperial & Metric for Distance.
Make it more apparent and the humor goes.arc101 said:
This is why I don't like the idea of a sarcasm symbol. Subtly is key. And of course, don't explain the joke.
I'm American, and if we had started with metric, all would be well, but everything is already set in Imperial and there is no way to change it back, save a massive overhaul of every sign, product, and every other thing with a measurement on it. It's just not worth it.
I understand where your argument is coming from, and while I only know imperial units of distance (though I almost never use them, besides for height), I wouldn't argue that they're more accessible. Yes, they are based on very tangible things, but things that differ greatly amongst even small groups of people, making it a poor standard.Slycne said:
The SI units were chosen to be both fundamental and accessible (in terms of ease of use). You mentioned a great example, in fact; A metre is (currently) defined as the distance travelled by light in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458th of a second. As a result of this, the speed of light is 299,792,458m/s.
Now, the reason why we don't have a nice correlation when it comes to 'seconds' is because there is no readily apparent natural phenomenon that takes the exact same amount of time for each oscillation or event.
In terms of grams, the standard arose from something every person on Earth is familiar with; water. There is a thousand grams per cubic metre. Similarly, this is where the standard for degrees Celsius came from (though note Celsius is NOT an SI unit!), using 0 degrees C as the freezing temperature of water, 100 degrees C as the boiling point. The SI unit for temperature is the Kelvin, which takes units the same 'size' as degrees Celsius (so there is still 100K between freezing water and boiling water), but uses a much more fundamental '0' temperature (0K = -273.15 degrees C = -459.67 degrees Fahrenheit), corresponding to the temperature at which all thermal motion stops (so, particles stop vibrating, which is really god damn cold).
You'll notice that all of these are inter-related also, and you'll also find that any other SI units are based off of these fundamental standards (you'll have to forgive me if I've forgotten something, I've got a nasty bug and I'm pretty out of it). The most obvious example is of course m/s, a measure of velocity, or m/s^2 (m/s.s), a measure of acceleration. We also get units of force from this, if F = ma, then in SI units we find F = gm/s^2, and so on.
As for why America should switch to the metric system, that's a little easier to explain. As far as domestic use goes, it doesn't really matter, but teaching people metric from the get-go means that they're more familiar with it, they're not going to get confused by it, and they're going to be more inclined to use it in other fields. When America should be using the metric system is in any time they're dealing with a nation that primarily uses metric, and also in the fields of science and engineering. It takes time and thus costs money to convert units either way. I'm sure some Americans would feel that this is unfair as we don't give them information/data/whatever in their units, however I'd argue that in this case, the vast majority of the rest of the developed world uses metric. The reason for this should be obvious; mistakes can and do happen. Sometimes they're not so bad, and easily fixed. But sometimes they're much more disastrous, and cost significant amounts of money. The Mars Climate Orbiter [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Climate_Orbiter] is one such example [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/462264.stm]. This also has the potential to lead to a loss of human life.
As a little disclaimer, I'm not trying to villainise anybody or any system here, just trying to make a logical argument for the use of the metric system and why America should switch to it, not just for the benefit of the rest of the world but for the benefit of itself. This is also directed at the people who have been saying that this is American business and nobody elses' issue. Also America, you're totally at the butt of many jokes because of this.
I will keep it thank you very muchwill1182 said:Adapting to change is a part of life. Obviously it would be a gradual change, not like you have put it. Besides, how do you think the rest of the world feels, having to do conversions when anything American comes up? Do you think we enjoy it? And yes, I do mean "rest of the world", not just Britain. Old does not equal good.Skullkid4187 said:But we dont want to! a bit of "british kids" want us to and we rufuse! Just because one is easier doesn't make it accurate....for hundreds of years we've been using the Imperial System...dont you want to go in and say "HEY WE CHANGED IT IMPERIAL SYSTEM IS GONE" to everyone? It's what we've been learning our whole lives...to change is like getting rid of books and replacing them with those online book ipad things.will1182 said:Okay man, come on. You're just twisting words now, I obviously didn't say that.Skullkid4187 said:so cultures have no right to be different?will1182 said:Yes, that's a completely fair comparison.Skullkid4187 said:
In a case like this, it would just save the world so much inconvenience if everyone used one unified system.
Since the US has such an influence on the rest of the world, everybody else is forced to learn two systems just because the US refuses to change. Everybody's aware of the benefits of switching, yet they stubbornly cling to their system for no apparent reason other than "It's the American way".
No one can force them to switch, but I have a right to express my displeasure.
But jeez, keep using it if means that much to you. Just don't expect everyone else to appreciate America being different for the sake of it.
So exactly as I said, excellent examples of why metric is a poor every day use system of measurement. It's great for when precession is needed, but not every problem needs to be tackled so finely. If I just need to figure out how are to move and end table so that the couch doesn't hit the wall, the best system is the easiest one.Wyes said:
One thing I find strange every time this argument comes up is that few people seem to fully understand the two systems usages. For instance, neither the United States nor United Kingdom are binary for or against one system. While the UK has passed laws to only use metric for trade, imperial is still used in many day to day activities. No one gives you their weight in kilograms they give it to you in stones. Like wise while the US doesn't officially use metric - many consumer products, all the military and science do use it.