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> Should The US Go Metric?, Join the rest of the indutrialized world
 
Should the US switch to the Metric System?
Yes, within 5 years [ 25 ]  [47.17%]
Yes, within 10 years [ 6 ]  [11.32%]
Not sure [ 3 ]  [5.66%]
No, never [ 16 ]  [30.19%]
No, not until it's studied further [ 3 ]  [5.66%]
Total Votes: 53
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Aaediwen 
Posted on 17-Mar-2004, 07:00 PM
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QUOTE (oldraven @ Mar 17 2004, 07:17 PM)
Janeymae, I'll mail you a meter stick, (our version of a yard stick). The hardest part is remembering all the greek prefixes that go before meter, gram, litre, etc.

Let's see.

milli, centi, deci, meter, deca (?), kilo, and after that I'm just lost. laugh.gif

pico, nano, milli, centi, deci, meter, deca, kilo, mega, giga, tera, exa...

can't 100 vouch for accuracy, and I think I'm missing at least one, but just to make you feel bad, that's from an American who went to school in the 80's and 90's

I wouldn't remember several of those were it not for computers and physics. Don't ask me conversions though. I know 30 cm to a foot and ~4ft to a meter. Some other common refrences I have in memory are 120F == 100C, 0C=32F.

I use metric for files or anything computer related, SI for distance and mass, and some of both (mostly SI) for volume. I still think metric for accelleration though (m/s/s) Fun fun.

I'm all for the US going metric. Although I seem to think that for temperatures everyone should go the other way around. Metric measurements, and deg F on temperature. just my -- two CENTS--


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tsargent62 
Posted on 17-Mar-2004, 07:01 PM
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The most common units of measure:

distance: metres (m) = approx 39 in
kilometres (km) = 1000 m
millimetre = .001 m

There is roughly 1.6 km to a mile, or .6 miles to a kilometre.


volume: litre (l) (a bit bigger than a quart)
millilitre (ml) = .001 litre

There's about 3.78 litres in a gallon

temperature: still use degrees but use the Celsius or Centigrade scale (same thing) and is based on the freezing and boiling points of water

0 C = 32 F (freezing point of water)
100 C = 212 F (boiling point of water)


Just to give an idea of temperature as it relates to weather

4 C --> 40 F
20 C -- > 72 F
30 C --> 87 F

Hope this helps you old, stodgey, fearful types who hate change. You know who you are. wink.gif


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maisky 
Posted on 17-Mar-2004, 07:04 PM
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and one quarter of a years is 91.25 days..... unsure.gif


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tsargent62 
Posted on 17-Mar-2004, 07:06 PM
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QUOTE (maisky @ Mar 17 2004, 08:04 PM)
and one quarter of a years is 91.25 days..... unsure.gif

Dude, don't confuse the issue with facts!
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Mailagnas maqqas Dunaidonas 
Posted on 17-Mar-2004, 07:35 PM
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angel_not.gif Seems to me we are a dual-measurement society already. For example, beer is sold in bottles measured in ounces, while wine and whisky are sold in bottles using liter measurements. I have both toolsets in both systems, because I can't alwasy predict which one I'll need for a particular job. To me, the real question is how long do we want to continue with two measuring systems, because we don't want to join the rest of the world, which has mostly gone metric.
I can't help but wonder whether when the price of gasoline gets high enough, we'll go metric so gas can be priced per lliter, to disguise the true cost increase. angel_not.gif


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peckery 
Posted on 17-Mar-2004, 08:57 PM
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DEAR GOD NO. MAKE IT GO AWAY. OUR SYSTEM IS MORE MONTY PYTHON THAN MONTY PYTHON. WE NEED THE COMIC RELIEF OF OUR WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
Perhap if we built a large wooden badger....... king.gif :
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MDF3530 
  Posted on 17-Mar-2004, 09:06 PM
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As long as I can have my beer_mug.gif in pints, I don't care tongue.gif biggrin.gif .


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kelaorqu 
Posted on 17-Mar-2004, 09:59 PM
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Being Canadian, I tend to be more biased but I think the metric system is a lot easier and would make things a lot simpler in the States! (although i don't know if they could handle taking something from another country... I'm surprised they even know the metric system exists) tongue.gif Just Kidding!


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High Plains Drifter 
Posted on 17-Mar-2004, 11:21 PM
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What's with all you people stuck with the old system and not wanting to go metric.(I refuse to call it standard, metric is standard everywhere else.) Any doper stoned out of his head can tell you what a kilo is. Why are you supposedly sober sane folks out there fighting the true standard system?


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oldraven 
Posted on 18-Mar-2004, 12:04 AM
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QUOTE (MDF3530 @ Mar 17 2004, 08:06 PM)
As long as I can have my beer_mug.gif in pints, I don't care tongue.gif biggrin.gif .

That's protected territory. laugh.gif You can still get pints up here, even schooners, if you find the right place. Oddly enough, Boston Pizza has something damn close.


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tsargent62 
Posted on 18-Mar-2004, 08:13 AM
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The only thing that messes me up with metric distances is figuring out how long it's going to take to get somewhere. There's no direct corollary between time and distance. At least with Imperial measure you could base on travelling at 60 mph. I have to base it on quarter hours. If I'm really awake I can go on tenths of hours, but it is a bit more difficult.

That being said, it is a small inconvenience for the sake of using a superior system of measurement.
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maisky 
Posted on 18-Mar-2004, 09:50 AM
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QUOTE (tsargent62 @ Mar 18 2004, 09:13 AM)
The only thing that messes me up with metric distances is figuring out how long it's going to take to get somewhere. There's no direct corollary between time and distance. At least with Imperial measure you could base on travelling at 60 mph. I have to base it on quarter hours. If I'm really awake I can go on tenths of hours, but it is a bit more difficult.

That being said, it is a small inconvenience for the sake of using a superior system of measurement.

What's so difficult about base 6 math? rolleyes.gif
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tsargent62 
Posted on 18-Mar-2004, 12:27 PM
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QUOTE (maisky @ Mar 18 2004, 10:50 AM)
QUOTE (tsargent62 @ Mar 18 2004, 09:13 AM)
The only thing that messes me up with metric distances is figuring out how long it's going to take to get somewhere.  There's no direct corollary between time and distance.  At least with Imperial measure you could base on travelling at 60 mph.  I have to base it on quarter hours.  If I'm really awake I can go on tenths of hours, but it is a bit more difficult. 

That being said, it is a small inconvenience for the sake of using a superior system of measurement.

What's so difficult about base 6 math? rolleyes.gif

Kind of defeats the purpose, now doesn't it? Hmmm?
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Herrerano 
Posted on 18-Mar-2004, 02:24 PM
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QUOTE
QUOTE (maisky @ Mar 18 2004, 10:50 AM)
QUOTE (tsargent62 @ Mar 18 2004, 09:13 AM)
The only thing that messes me up with metric distances is figuring out how long it's going to take to get somewhere.  There's no direct corollary between time and distance.  At least with Imperial measure you could base on travelling at 60 mph.  I have to base it on quarter hours.  If I'm really awake I can go on tenths of hours, but it is a bit more difficult. 

That being said, it is a small inconvenience for the sake of using a superior system of measurement. 


What's so difficult about base 6 math? 


Kind of defeats the purpose, now doesn't it? Hmmm?



I'm confused. What are you talking about here Todd? There is no direct corollary between any unit of distance and time. You have to make the corollary. For Example, The speed limit on the Interamerican Highway (except for populated areas) is 100 kph.

The town I work in is 250 kilometers from Panama City so if one could drive 100 kph for the entire trip then it would be a two and a half hour trip. In reality it takes about three to three and a half hours but that is because there are some pesky towns in the way and stuff.

Did I misunderstand something here? That wouldn't be hard to believe either since I have been running a fever since last night. Maybe I am delusional. blink.gif



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tsargent62 
Posted on 18-Mar-2004, 02:33 PM
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Leo, you used a very simple example. What if the place you want go is 287 km away. You know it's going to take close to 3 hours, sure. But how long exactly? It's a small point, I know. You know it's going to be at least 2.75 hours, but less than 3. That's what meant when I said I could guess using quarter hour increments.
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