Hello There, Guest! Registered users see far less ads! Register today and join our virtual tailgate. (Login — Register)

Post Reply 
Why doesn't the US use the metric system?
Author Message
UofMstateU Online
Legend
*

Posts: 46,167
Joined: Dec 2009
Reputation: 4536
I Root For: Memphis
Location:
Post: #41
RE: Why doesn't the US use the metric system?
(12-30-2017 04:10 PM)Machiavelli Wrote:  This is a big reason we don’t score as well in comparative international math tests.

No, the problem with test scores is that our teachers wont stop blowing the kids in class long enough to teach them how to read. We have a serious teacher/pedophilia problem. And yes, I'm using the term pedophilia the same as how the libturds use it.
12-30-2017 11:01 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
bullet Offline
Legend
*

Posts: 83,634
Joined: Apr 2012
Reputation: 5051
I Root For: Texas, UK, UGA
Location:
Post: #42
RE: Why doesn't the US use the metric system?
(12-30-2017 04:44 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  Actually like Celsius. 30 is warm, 20 is nice, 10 is cool, 0 is ice.

I would favor a law that everything had to be expressed in both. Kind of like Canada's English/French law. If people started using it and figuring out that metric was easier, I think we would evolve into converting.

We were switching but Gingrich became speaker and reversed the laws
12-30-2017 11:50 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
bullet Offline
Legend
*

Posts: 83,634
Joined: Apr 2012
Reputation: 5051
I Root For: Texas, UK, UGA
Location:
Post: #43
RE: Why doesn't the US use the metric system?
We should convert allowing English in less prominent type if they want. Schools waste a bunch of time learning both
12-30-2017 11:52 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
GeorgeBorkFan Offline
All American
*

Posts: 3,161
Joined: Nov 2005
Reputation: 91
I Root For:
Location:
Post: #44
RE: Why doesn't the US use the metric system?
(12-30-2017 11:38 AM)shere khan Wrote:  
(12-30-2017 11:27 AM)stinkfist Wrote:  today's engineering doesn't give a shite either way.....decimal placement is all that matters....

any system is nothing but a placeholder at a glance....

let's not forget tha dewey decimal system that is now irrelevant.....

what too many don't recognize in 'value' is how learning both is akin to the worth of becoming bilingual .......that's what helps grow the brain when living in the land of puzzles.....

humans.....no question, we are an interesting study.....

command of language is the asset most only hope to achieve.....

I worked on a project once that used a foot divided into 10 even increments. Jokingly called metric inches. Ever heard of that?

It is commonly used in surveying. Elevations are foot/decimals to the hundredth.
12-31-2017 12:16 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Jjoey52 Offline
All American
*

Posts: 4,026
Joined: Feb 2017
Reputation: 236
I Root For: ISU
Location:
Post: #45
Why doesn't the US use the metric system?
If memory serves correctly PIE cannot be used in metrics.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
12-31-2017 01:37 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
stinkfist Offline
nuts zongo's in the house
*

Posts: 86,713
Joined: Nov 2011
Reputation: 11976
I Root For: Mustard Buzzards
Location: Hell House
Post: #46
RE: Why doesn't the US use the metric system?
(12-30-2017 06:29 PM)Crebman Wrote:  
(12-30-2017 02:51 PM)stinkfist Wrote:  
(12-30-2017 02:41 PM)Crebman Wrote:  
(12-30-2017 11:38 AM)shere khan Wrote:  
(12-30-2017 11:27 AM)stinkfist Wrote:  today's engineering doesn't give a shite either way.....decimal placement is all that matters....

any system is nothing but a placeholder at a glance....

let's not forget tha dewey decimal system that is now irrelevant.....

what too many don't recognize in 'value' is how learning both is akin to the worth of becoming bilingual .......that's what helps grow the brain when living in the land of puzzles.....

humans.....no question, we are an interesting study.....

command of language is the asset most only hope to achieve.....

I worked on a project once that used a foot divided into 10 even increments. Jokingly called metric inches. Ever heard of that?

I use this measurement system every day in the aerospace industry. It keeps the same inch, foot, yard system we have, but allows for measuring in very small increments.

I have to hear more about this 'why'......please elaborate.....

what are you measuring, what is the mfg cycling, and with what yardstick????

last time I checked, micrometers were en vogue for pure accuracy at that level.....

aerospace engineering......

I must ask for more technical info before I write anything else....

Well, when they first started using the units of measure, the inch/foot was the measurement system everyone used. Given the close tolerancing necessary, I'm guessing a bit here, they converted inches to hundredths and thousands.

We have stuff that is 6/7 feet in diameter that we machine and measure to +/- .003 and smaller diameters that are machined to +/- .0002. I'm not even sure how you would express and measure those numbers using our standard system.

Btw, a human hair is about .004 in diameter.....

While the metric system seems the logical system to use, when this system began to be used very few Americans knew the metric system so it would be really hard to mentally have a frame of reference.....for me it still is when I see a drawing defined using the metric system....

you simply proved what I was driving at....once the standard UoM is established, converting to decimal format is simple.

it doesn't matter if the tolerance is 0.001/cm or 0.0003937008/in....all that matters is one understands the standard and the tooling/systems in place accounts for either one or both in tandem....

I'm 10 years displaced from that world today.....I still remember the pains I had to go through getting our shop employees to understand why it didn't matter when we converted to decimal formatted drawings....then it really got fun when I was tasked with developing a paperless system.....

there's a part of me that misses those challenges......
(This post was last modified: 12-31-2017 02:19 AM by stinkfist.)
12-31-2017 02:04 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
stinkfist Offline
nuts zongo's in the house
*

Posts: 86,713
Joined: Nov 2011
Reputation: 11976
I Root For: Mustard Buzzards
Location: Hell House
Post: #47
RE: Why doesn't the US use the metric system?
(12-30-2017 10:34 PM)shere khan Wrote:  
(12-30-2017 10:27 PM)Machiavelli Wrote:  No we’re not. Not using the metric system hurts our kids in math. Sorry gents. It just does.
Teaching them fractions using the English system hurts their math skills? Sorry Mach, prove it.

XACLY!

understanding the numerator/denominator forces one to think......that's important as the brain is developing.....it absolutely helps develop skills that are required later in life....

anyone can tap keys to find a solution....that's where today's education system is failing in methodology....

once you figure out how to do conversions in your head w/o writing anything down, it really becomes fun.....

once upon, they called me the human calculator.....I'm a tad slower these days as 'use it or lose it' is starting to take effect 03-wink
12-31-2017 02:17 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
stinkfist Offline
nuts zongo's in the house
*

Posts: 86,713
Joined: Nov 2011
Reputation: 11976
I Root For: Mustard Buzzards
Location: Hell House
Post: #48
RE: Why doesn't the US use the metric system?
(12-31-2017 01:37 AM)Jjoey52 Wrote:  If memory serves correctly PIE cannot be used in metrics.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

apple pi(e) is pretty good with vanilla ice cream 03-wink

as a constant, it doesn't matter what the UoM is.....you could call it a widget if you wanted to.....Pi is nothing more than a label.....
(This post was last modified: 12-31-2017 02:29 AM by stinkfist.)
12-31-2017 02:28 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
stinkfist Offline
nuts zongo's in the house
*

Posts: 86,713
Joined: Nov 2011
Reputation: 11976
I Root For: Mustard Buzzards
Location: Hell House
Post: #49
RE: Why doesn't the US use the metric system?
(12-31-2017 12:16 AM)GeorgeBorkFan Wrote:  
(12-30-2017 11:38 AM)shere khan Wrote:  
(12-30-2017 11:27 AM)stinkfist Wrote:  today's engineering doesn't give a shite either way.....decimal placement is all that matters....

any system is nothing but a placeholder at a glance....

let's not forget tha dewey decimal system that is now irrelevant.....

what too many don't recognize in 'value' is how learning both is akin to the worth of becoming bilingual .......that's what helps grow the brain when living in the land of puzzles.....

humans.....no question, we are an interesting study.....

command of language is the asset most only hope to achieve.....

I worked on a project once that used a foot divided into 10 even increments. Jokingly called metric inches. Ever heard of that?

It is commonly used in surveying. Elevations are foot/decimals to the hundredth.

in decimal format, it is easily expressed in cm/m/km/etc....

again, the only thing that matters is the standard UoM.....

there's all kinds of reasons why certain standards are what they are.....in the end it simply doesn't matter as long as the tooling is calibrated to the standard.....
12-31-2017 02:40 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
EverRespect Offline
Free Kaplony
*

Posts: 31,122
Joined: May 2012
Reputation: 1159
I Root For: ODU
Location:
Post: #50
Why doesn't the US use the metric system?
For all the whiners, if you can't do simple conversion arithmetics, you don't belong anywhere near a measurement anyway. Using standard weeds out a lot of dippos. Maybe Europe should start using it.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
12-31-2017 08:23 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Crebman Offline
Heisman
*

Posts: 9,412
Joined: Apr 2007
Reputation: 564
I Root For:
Location:
Post: #51
RE: Why doesn't the US use the metric system?
(12-31-2017 02:04 AM)stinkfist Wrote:  
(12-30-2017 06:29 PM)Crebman Wrote:  
(12-30-2017 02:51 PM)stinkfist Wrote:  
(12-30-2017 02:41 PM)Crebman Wrote:  
(12-30-2017 11:38 AM)shere khan Wrote:  I worked on a project once that used a foot divided into 10 even increments. Jokingly called metric inches. Ever heard of that?

I use this measurement system every day in the aerospace industry. It keeps the same inch, foot, yard system we have, but allows for measuring in very small increments.

I have to hear more about this 'why'......please elaborate.....

what are you measuring, what is the mfg cycling, and with what yardstick????

last time I checked, micrometers were en vogue for pure accuracy at that level.....

aerospace engineering......

I must ask for more technical info before I write anything else....

Well, when they first started using the units of measure, the inch/foot was the measurement system everyone used. Given the close tolerancing necessary, I'm guessing a bit here, they converted inches to hundredths and thousands.

We have stuff that is 6/7 feet in diameter that we machine and measure to +/- .003 and smaller diameters that are machined to +/- .0002. I'm not even sure how you would express and measure those numbers using our standard system.

Btw, a human hair is about .004 in diameter.....

While the metric system seems the logical system to use, when this system began to be used very few Americans knew the metric system so it would be really hard to mentally have a frame of reference.....for me it still is when I see a drawing defined using the metric system....

you simply proved what I was driving at....once the standard UoM is established, converting to decimal format is simple.

it doesn't matter if the tolerance is 0.001/cm or 0.0003937008/in....all that matters is one understands the standard and the tooling/systems in place accounts for either one or both in tandem....

I'm 10 years displaced from that world today.....I still remember the pains I had to go through getting our shop employees to understand why it didn't matter when we converted to decimal formatted drawings....then it really got fun when I was tasked with developing a paperless system.....

there's a part of me that misses those challenges......

You are correct about the "understanding of the standard".

It's funny, but when I first was exposed to the "inch/decimal" system, it was an easily understandable conversion for me mentally because I could always relate it back to a known - inch or foot.....

It's kind of like a person that learns a second language that is very similar to their first language as opposed to learning a second language that is different enough that the translations always have to convert to first language for understanding.
12-31-2017 08:36 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
CliftonAve Offline
Heisman
*

Posts: 23,849
Joined: May 2012
Reputation: 1400
I Root For: Jimmy Nippert
Location:
Post: #52
RE: Why doesn't the US use the metric system?


(This post was last modified: 12-31-2017 08:39 AM by CliftonAve.)
12-31-2017 08:38 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
dfarr Offline
Murse Practitioner
*

Posts: 9,389
Joined: Aug 2004
Reputation: 166
I Root For: UAB
Location:

BlazerTalk AwardBlazerTalk Award
Post: #53
RE: Why doesn't the US use the metric system?
Who cares? You’re a fool if you can’t use either system. I use metric when converting and dosing meds based on weight in kg. And I use our system when I’m working in my wood shop. It’s not hard to use both.
12-31-2017 09:37 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Owl 69/70/75 Offline
Just an old rugby coach
*

Posts: 82,008
Joined: Sep 2005
Reputation: 3446
I Root For: RiceBathChelsea
Location: Montgomery, TX

DonatorsNew Orleans Bowl
Post: #54
RE: Why doesn't the US use the metric system?
I think the biggest barrier to our going metric is lack of familiarity. I think if we had a period of dual use, and got familiar with both, then most of us would find metric to be easier and therefore superior.
12-31-2017 09:42 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Fo Shizzle Offline
Pragmatic Classical Liberal
*

Posts: 41,888
Joined: Dec 2006
Reputation: 1206
I Root For: ECU PIRATES
Location: North Carolina

Balance of Power Contest
Post: #55
RE: Why doesn't the US use the metric system?
(12-30-2017 04:44 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  Actually like Celsius. 30 is warm, 20 is nice, 10 is cool, 0 is ice.

I would favor a law that everything had to be expressed in both. Kind of like Canada's English/French law. If people started using it and figuring out that metric was easier, I think we would evolve into converting.

Probably the right way to do it. As long as I have worked using and converting between standard and metric I still cant visualize in my head what 304.8 cm is. I know exactly what 10 ft is. Having them shown together would ingrain that visualization eventually.
12-31-2017 09:58 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Kaplony Offline
Palmetto State Deplorable

Posts: 25,311
Joined: Apr 2013
I Root For: Newberry
Location: SC
Post: #56
RE: Why doesn't the US use the metric system?
(12-30-2017 04:27 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Mr. Batshit Bitterman found a way to attack Trump and people he doesn’t like via the metric system. Outstanding! Bwahahahah!

It takes a terminal case of TDS to make the leap he made. While entertaining as hell watching the Olympic level mental gymnastics it's also kinda sad.
12-31-2017 10:37 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Lord Stanley Offline
L'Étoile du Nord
*

Posts: 19,059
Joined: Feb 2005
Reputation: 1000
I Root For: NIU
Location: Cold. So cold......
Post: #57
RE: Why doesn't the US use the metric system?
I'll tell you why the US doesn't use the metric system:

[Image: e768291cd420ea12d40f04dd198fcf0fcbca4dc0...04dc66.jpg]
12-31-2017 04:14 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
shere khan Offline
Southerner
*

Posts: 76,549
Joined: Mar 2004
Reputation: 10813
I Root For: Memphis
Location: Russia
Post: #58
RE: Why doesn't the US use the metric system?
(12-31-2017 09:58 AM)Fo Shizzle Wrote:  
(12-30-2017 04:44 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  Actually like Celsius. 30 is warm, 20 is nice, 10 is cool, 0 is ice.

I would favor a law that everything had to be expressed in both. Kind of like Canada's English/French law. If people started using it and figuring out that metric was easier, I think we would evolve into converting.

Probably the right way to do it. As long as I have worked using and converting between standard and metric I still cant visualize in my head what 304.8 cm is. I know exactly what 10 ft is. Having them shown together would ingrain that visualization eventually.

That's an interesting point. I had to learn to think in the metric system in terms of estimating distance and measurements for a job. It took a little while to do it but once done it was no big deal. 10cm is about 4 inches, a yard is about a meter. A liter is about a quart. Past that you have to measure it with an instrument anyway.

Clint Eastwood is right about millineals.

BFD
12-31-2017 04:53 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
VA49er Offline
Legend
*

Posts: 32,590
Joined: Dec 2004
Reputation: 1417
I Root For: Charlotte
Location:
Post: #59
RE: Why doesn't the US use the metric system?
(12-31-2017 09:37 AM)dfarr Wrote:  Who cares? You’re a fool if you can’t use either system. I use metric when converting and dosing meds based on weight in kg. And I use our system when I’m working in my wood shop. It’s not hard to use both.

I agree. It's more a cultural thing. If we wanted to we could switch. We just don't want to.
01-02-2018 09:22 AM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Post Reply 




User(s) browsing this thread:


Copyright © 2002-2026 Collegiate Sports Nation Bulletin Board System (CSNbbs), All Rights Reserved.
CSNbbs is an independent fan site and is in no way affiliated to the NCAA or any of the schools and conferences it represents.
This site monetizes links. FTC Disclosure.
We allow third-party companies to serve ads and/or collect certain anonymous information when you visit our web site. These companies may use non-personally identifiable information (e.g., click stream information, browser type, time and date, subject of advertisements clicked or scrolled over) during your visits to this and other Web sites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services likely to be of greater interest to you. These companies typically use a cookie or third party web beacon to collect this information. To learn more about this behavioral advertising practice or to opt-out of this type of advertising, you can visit http://www.networkadvertising.org.
Powered By MyBB, © 2002-2026 MyBB Group.