I’ve always been amazed at how Americans hold on to a patchwork system of units long after most of the rest of the world has shoved it into their junk drawers…
My guess is that this is an unfortunate combination of laziness, poor attempts at teaching the metric system, and xenophobia.
I know that a 6mm nut is bigger than a 5mm nut. With a 5/16” and a 1/4” I have to stop and think for a second…
The situation has me thinking of a path through a forest. The first few people to go through found their way by trial and error and made a twisty path that works, but is much longer than it needs to be. With time, that twisty path became well-worn, so no one thought to make a straighter one for a long time.
Finally, someone came along and cut a straight path, but the locals still insist on using the twisty one…
We have a garage full of those cans of “mixed nuts” plus nails, screws and assorted whatzits. Oh, how I would love to throw it all out but the silverback plugger in residence insists they will come in handy “someday.” Yeah, right.
God, the math get easier when I learned metric and was required to multiply by 10. One cc of water is 1 gram and 1 calorie will raise it 1 degree celsius at 1 atm’ Got it!
When I drank I spent many a happy hour organizing my nuts in the barn.
it’s been a while since I’ve been stateside, but afaik they still use miles (who came up with 5280, anyway?) and gallons, etc., but sometimes have the metric measurement on signs and labels, too.
a million immigrants is a lot, but of course the US “cherry-picks” - people with advanced degrees are allowed in, but po’ folks are out of luck. the number of people who would like to immigrate to the US (despite having to learn a new language and get used to an irrational measurement system…) is much higher. take a look at the number of illegal immigrants, especially in the southwest, and the efforts of some to get rid of them. all they want is a decent living, and they’re willing to do jobs most americans wouldn’t look at.
but getting back to metric vs. USCS (United States Customary System - it used to be called the British system, but the brits got smart a while back and, with a few exceptions, joined the rest of the world on this issue…), the bottom line is that I’ve known and used both systems since childhood and can convert between them sans calculator better than most. If both systems would be taught without prejudice the metric system would win, hands down.
oh, and just for the fun of it… the NIST (US National Institute of Standards and Technology - successor to the NBS, National Bureau of Standards) defines the USCS units (feet, inches, pounds, ounces, whatever…) in terms of metric standards (meters, kilograms, etc…)
zev.farkas – the official term for the system is SAE (“Standard American English”), although some idiots have tried to dress it up with the fancier name you cite. Anyway, there have been some pretty pathetic attempts at teaching Metric (which literally means “of measurement,” but there you go), but no xenophobia – we, as a society, have way more than enogh laziness to compensate for any lack of xenophobia.
The metric standards are used in the NIST definitions because they’re easier to convert between, duh – but that doesn’t mean they’re easier to actually use day-to-day; I can track linear, volumetric, and weight measurements just as easily in SAE as in Metric. The only thing that’s easier in Metric is converting between distance, volume, and mass, which isn’t something most people do every day.
I’ve often wondered if we would be better off with the metric system (I use both systems in my lab).
I’ve also wondered if it would be easier to type with a keyboard different from the QWERTY one in use now. It was actually designed this way to slow down people using manual typewriters and jamming the letter parts in the typewriter together when they typed really fast… a problem that disappeared with computer and other electronic keyboards.
it’s been a while since I’ve been stateside, but afaik they still use miles (who came up with 5280, anyway?) and gallons, etc., but sometimes have the metric measurement on signs and labels, too.
a million immigrants is a lot, but of course the US “cherry-picks” - people with advanced degrees are allowed in, but po’ folks are out of luck. the number of people who would like to immigrate to the US (despite having to learn a new language and get used to an irrational measurement system…) is much higher. take a look at the number of illegal immigrants, especially in the southwest, and the efforts of some to get rid of them. all they want is a decent living, and they’re willing to do jobs most americans wouldn’t look at.
Yes, the U S does “Cherry-Pick” the people it allows to immigrate. I suppose you don’t exercise discretion about who you invite into YOUR HOME?
Which official did you get that from? SAE stands for Society of Automotive Engineers (as in SAE 10W/40… a measure of viscosity)…
if you want to attribute America’s backwardness in the measurement world to laziness, I’m game - it’s the kind of laziness that keeps someone from sharpening their axe because they’re spending too much time chopping wood…
The rest of your note is too full of errors to justify any attempt at correction…
@Bad Dog -
There’s a big difference between discretion (for example, keeping out criminals) and the sort of brain-draining pick-and-choose the US practices (keeping out people who had little opportunity to get good formal education)
Any Jew is free to come here - heck, they even took the likes of me! (OK, maybe we made an exception for Mayer Lansky…)
Take a look at Israeli immigration stats. Per capita, they’re quite outstanding…
Pacejv almost 14 years ago
You know a plugger. He is NOT metric!!
Ashrey almost 14 years ago
And he shouldn’t be. We’re American!
zev.farkas almost 14 years ago
I’ve always been amazed at how Americans hold on to a patchwork system of units long after most of the rest of the world has shoved it into their junk drawers…
My guess is that this is an unfortunate combination of laziness, poor attempts at teaching the metric system, and xenophobia.
I know that a 6mm nut is bigger than a 5mm nut. With a 5/16” and a 1/4” I have to stop and think for a second…
The situation has me thinking of a path through a forest. The first few people to go through found their way by trial and error and made a twisty path that works, but is much longer than it needs to be. With time, that twisty path became well-worn, so no one thought to make a straighter one for a long time.
Finally, someone came along and cut a straight path, but the locals still insist on using the twisty one…
sigh…
McGehee almost 14 years ago
”With a 5/16” and a 1/4” I have to stop and think for a second”
Poor baby. That’s cruel and unusual punishment right there.
ImaPlugger2 almost 14 years ago
We have a garage full of those cans of “mixed nuts” plus nails, screws and assorted whatzits. Oh, how I would love to throw it all out but the silverback plugger in residence insists they will come in handy “someday.” Yeah, right.
lewisbower almost 14 years ago
God, the math get easier when I learned metric and was required to multiply by 10. One cc of water is 1 gram and 1 calorie will raise it 1 degree celsius at 1 atm’ Got it!
When I drank I spent many a happy hour organizing my nuts in the barn.
rhol55 almost 14 years ago
In response to zev.farkas……..
“Xenophobia” is the uncontrollable fear of foreigners.
WOW, Is that what they really think about us?
In 2008 the United States naturalized a record 1,046,539 of them (foreigners). That’s a lot to be afraid of in my book!
And yes, we have accommodated the metric system for them (foreigners) here too!
zev.farkas almost 14 years ago
it’s been a while since I’ve been stateside, but afaik they still use miles (who came up with 5280, anyway?) and gallons, etc., but sometimes have the metric measurement on signs and labels, too.
a million immigrants is a lot, but of course the US “cherry-picks” - people with advanced degrees are allowed in, but po’ folks are out of luck. the number of people who would like to immigrate to the US (despite having to learn a new language and get used to an irrational measurement system…) is much higher. take a look at the number of illegal immigrants, especially in the southwest, and the efforts of some to get rid of them. all they want is a decent living, and they’re willing to do jobs most americans wouldn’t look at.
but getting back to metric vs. USCS (United States Customary System - it used to be called the British system, but the brits got smart a while back and, with a few exceptions, joined the rest of the world on this issue…), the bottom line is that I’ve known and used both systems since childhood and can convert between them sans calculator better than most. If both systems would be taught without prejudice the metric system would win, hands down.
oh, and just for the fun of it… the NIST (US National Institute of Standards and Technology - successor to the NBS, National Bureau of Standards) defines the USCS units (feet, inches, pounds, ounces, whatever…) in terms of metric standards (meters, kilograms, etc…)
tedcoop almost 14 years ago
zev.farkas – the official term for the system is SAE (“Standard American English”), although some idiots have tried to dress it up with the fancier name you cite. Anyway, there have been some pretty pathetic attempts at teaching Metric (which literally means “of measurement,” but there you go), but no xenophobia – we, as a society, have way more than enogh laziness to compensate for any lack of xenophobia.
The metric standards are used in the NIST definitions because they’re easier to convert between, duh – but that doesn’t mean they’re easier to actually use day-to-day; I can track linear, volumetric, and weight measurements just as easily in SAE as in Metric. The only thing that’s easier in Metric is converting between distance, volume, and mass, which isn’t something most people do every day.
chromosome Premium Member almost 14 years ago
I’ve often wondered if we would be better off with the metric system (I use both systems in my lab).
I’ve also wondered if it would be easier to type with a keyboard different from the QWERTY one in use now. It was actually designed this way to slow down people using manual typewriters and jamming the letter parts in the typewriter together when they typed really fast… a problem that disappeared with computer and other electronic keyboards.
Cougar90 almost 14 years ago
My uncle once said, “If you want to see a bunch of mixed nuts, look at the ballot next November!”
Whiskey14 almost 14 years ago
You said it Cougar90! Am curious to see how the American public will vote, only time will tell.
dinosaur123 almost 14 years ago
zev.farkasGenius_badge said, about 10 hours ago
it’s been a while since I’ve been stateside, but afaik they still use miles (who came up with 5280, anyway?) and gallons, etc., but sometimes have the metric measurement on signs and labels, too.
a million immigrants is a lot, but of course the US “cherry-picks” - people with advanced degrees are allowed in, but po’ folks are out of luck. the number of people who would like to immigrate to the US (despite having to learn a new language and get used to an irrational measurement system…) is much higher. take a look at the number of illegal immigrants, especially in the southwest, and the efforts of some to get rid of them. all they want is a decent living, and they’re willing to do jobs most americans wouldn’t look at.
Yes, the U S does “Cherry-Pick” the people it allows to immigrate. I suppose you don’t exercise discretion about who you invite into YOUR HOME?
wanderwolf almost 14 years ago
rhol: Technically, xenophobia is “fear of strangers”, or “fear of the strange”. After all, xenobiology isn’t the study of foreigners’ insides…
zev.farkas almost 14 years ago
@tedcoop -
Which official did you get that from? SAE stands for Society of Automotive Engineers (as in SAE 10W/40… a measure of viscosity)…
if you want to attribute America’s backwardness in the measurement world to laziness, I’m game - it’s the kind of laziness that keeps someone from sharpening their axe because they’re spending too much time chopping wood…
The rest of your note is too full of errors to justify any attempt at correction…
@Bad Dog -
There’s a big difference between discretion (for example, keeping out criminals) and the sort of brain-draining pick-and-choose the US practices (keeping out people who had little opportunity to get good formal education)
Any Jew is free to come here - heck, they even took the likes of me! (OK, maybe we made an exception for Mayer Lansky…)
Take a look at Israeli immigration stats. Per capita, they’re quite outstanding…