why does America not use the metric system??

sumday · Dec 9, 2009

What's wrong with you guys? I mean the metric system is so much simpler and it's the scientific way of measuring things.

The way you guys measure things is probably derived from things like a man on a farm milking a cow and looking at the jug and thinking, ''hey, I will call this a gallon''

Inches, gallons, Fahrenheit, it just makes no sense and I can't imagine how annoying it must be. Although the weird thing is, I'm more comfortable with understanding or appreciating height or lengths of things in inches or feet. That's strange.

What was this thread about again? I lost my train of thought. I just woke up. Whatever..carry on people...

bigtendominator · Dec 9, 2009

You honestly don't know the answer?

We are the most arrogant country in the world. I don't know of another country that doesn't use the metric system besides us.

steaktartar · Dec 9, 2009

it would be cool....i have 17 centimeters im going to give you baby...the chicks would dig it

wolfie_cr · Dec 9, 2009

because old habits die hard , and why do you need to change it if everything in America is the best in the World (including their measurement system??)

Any engineering student knows what a huge nightmare it is to do calculations in the British system (that not even the Brits use anymore), you should see the convoluted things you have to do to get around some things, in Chemical Engineering (and I imagine in Mechanical its the same thing) its total madness when you mix heat/temperature/lenght/weight units........chances of a mistake ARE big

there is already one case of a space probe that got lost in space because of a problem with the units (some stuff was done in Europe in the metric system and some stuff done by NASA in the shitty system)

quick, how long is 1 inch + 1 foot + 1 yard? impossible to tell

however if you tell me how much it is 1 cm + 1 m + 1 km the answer is of course 1001,01 meters

since the density of water is 1 g/ mL its also convenient as I can just tell you that a 1 liter of water weights 1 kg

how much does 1 gallon of water weight in pounds? :smoker2:

I am relatively young and I dont expect to see you guys using this system anytime soon

(rant over)

wolfie_cr · Dec 9, 2009

steak tartar said:
it would be cool....i have 17 centimeters im going to give you baby...the chicks would dig it

this is the prime example of what happens when an American tries to use the metric system

He clearly meant 1.7 centimeters instead of 17............:lolBIG:

Defying · Dec 9, 2009

bigtendominator said:
We are the most arrogant country in the world. I don't know of another country that doesn't use the metric system besides us.

I remember back in 7th grade science, our teacher basically said this.. wierd she taught it like that.

mplastered · Dec 9, 2009

bigtendominator said:
You honestly don't know the answer?

We are the most arrogant country in the world. I don't know of another country that doesn't use the metric system besides us.

OK Obama, who let you in here.

celticGreen+ · Dec 9, 2009

congrats... you've found something americans do that is counterproductive and archaic... where should I send your prize

wolfie_cr · Dec 9, 2009

celticgreen said:
congrats... You've found something americans do that is counterproductive and archaic... Where should i send your prize

irs?

yanni_gogolak · Dec 9, 2009

celticGreen said:
congrats... you've found something americans do that is counterproductive and archaic... where should I send your prize

Send it to our great retirement fund, the Social Security Administration.

bigtendominator · Dec 9, 2009

mplastered said:
OK Obama, who let you in here.

My guess is you probably do not even have a passport.

If you do, let me guess it has stamps from Canada, Cancun and maybe the Carribean.

Remove your head from your ass and realize, while we live in the greatest country in the world, it doesn't make everything we do the greatest.

Seriously, if an entire population is using something different, why then is that we need to change it up.

quantumleap · Dec 9, 2009

wolfie_cr said:
quick, how long is 1 inch + 1 foot + 1 yard? impossible to tell

however if you tell me how much it is 1 cm + 1 m + 1 km the answer is of course 1001,01 meters

since the density of water is 1 g/ mL its also convenient as I can just tell you that a 1 liter of water weights 1 kg

how much does 1 gallon of water weight in pounds? :smoker2:

I am relatively young and I dont expect to see you guys using this system anytime soon

(rant over)

Seriously, when would the average person need to know any of this stuff other than filling a backyard pool?

Most people have an estimation in their mind as to how long things are so "1 inch + 1 foot + 1 yard" would be automatically measured based upon estimates already in place. One would not need to know that it was 49 inches. That would only complicate things. Most people would know that it's just over 4 feet and would have an estimate for that in their head as well.

I think that's why the metric system never caught on. People already had estimates of distance and weight in their mind and the rare occasion to need to multiply could be dealt with using a calculator. Why retrain a whole population on new estimates?

DollarDay · Dec 9, 2009

Having lived in Belgium for 2 years I'm good with the Metric system in just about everything, except temperature. I don't get the same feeling thinking that it's 30 degress outside vs 90. While to some 30 is hot, i want to hear that 90 # to know it's hot outside. your mileage may vary.

jeckll · Dec 9, 2009

quantumleap said:
Seriously, when would the average person need to know any of this stuff other than filling a backyard pool?

Most people have an estimation in their mind as to how long things are so "1 inch + 1 foot + 1 yard" would be automatically measured based upon estimates already in place. One would not need to know that it was 49 inches. That would only complicate things. Most people would know that it's just over 4 feet and would have an estimate for that in their head as well.

I think that's why the metric system never caught on. People already had estimates of distance and weight in their mind and the rare occasion to need to multiply could be dealt with using a calculator. Why retrain a whole population on new estimates?

1) in the future, the metric system WILL be used in the united states. it's used by 95% of the world's population; eventually the US will come around. the longer you delay, the more difficult the transition becomes.

2) "when would an average person need this" --> it just simplifies all sorts of calculations. Off the top of my head, let's say I'm in a grocery store and there's a 1LB bag of sugar for $5 and a 4oz bag of sugar for $2.99. Which is more bang for the buck?

Sure I know that 16oz=1LB but I would bet most people don't. It would be far easier for the vast majority of the population if everything was on a decimal system like metric. 1kg=1000g=1,000,000mg etc. MUCH easier to do calculations in your head.

billhill999 · Dec 9, 2009

I don't know what the big deal is.
Most intelligent Americans knows that 1 gallon is about 3 3/4 liters.
Or 1 foot is about 30 1/2 centimeters, and an ounce is about 28 1/3 grams.
At least I do, and I am not Einstein.

If High Schools and Junior High Schools don't teach the metric system in science and math class, they should.
But a total upheaval of a weights and standard system that's been in place for eons seems a little extreme to me.

wolfie_cr · Dec 9, 2009

quantumleap said:
Seriously, when would the average person need to know any of this stuff other than filling a backyard pool?

Most people have an estimation in their mind as to how long things are so "1 inch + 1 foot + 1 yard" would be automatically measured based upon estimates already in place. One would not need to know that it was 49 inches. That would only complicate things. Most people would know that it's just over 4 feet and would have an estimate for that in their head as well.

I think that's why the metric system never caught on. People already had estimates of distance and weight in their mind and the rare occasion to need to multiply could be dealt with using a calculator. Why retrain a whole population on new estimates?

if you want to talk about average person, the average person needs a calculator to add 5 and 17

the metric system is most useful for engineers and scientists , they will see an obvious advantage to a system that allows them to do these things (1 foot+ 10 inches + 2 yards , because they are not measured in other units to start with but they are doing a calculation and that's the input) on their head specially when they don't just need an estimate, it also minimizes problems with they talk to the factory in India or China where obviously they have all been trained with metric units

why retrain people on new estimates? there is no need of retraining or a global plan called "No American left behind on the British system"

people simply learn it, it really isn't that hard believe me, the US would not be the first country to do such 'relearning', many things (like cars) usually have speeds in both Km and miles.....so if you want an estimate take a look

if the average American can't add to bytes of data to their brain....... that tells you something doesn't it?

In my opinion (not knowing anything about specific attempts to do this in the US) it probably has to do with

a) of course the old ways of people and well....."we do it this way, God Bless America.... if you want metric go ELSEWHERE"

b) the cost of changing things like bolts/screws etc to a metric standard........

In reality this is not that big of a problem, manufacture in the US continues its decline.........the rest of the World use metric...not difficult to see what the trend will be , we will use what China uses ....that's it.

buddyboy · Dec 9, 2009

why do people refer to the United States as "america"?

the United States does use the metric system. it also uses English units.

ask any 3rd grader.

why do we still use the english units? same reason we use the english language.

You want us to speak spanish to make it easier for our mexican workers?

how hard is it? inch, foot, yard, mile cm, meter, Km

rods, chains, furlongs?

the united states didn't invent this shit, the europeans did, shit the romans did.

it's just units of measure. one system isn't any "easier" than another, just unfamilar

wolfie_cr · Dec 9, 2009

buddyboy said:
it's just units of measure. one system isn't any "easier" than another, just unfamilar

you are wrong, because when you are doing engineering calculations (specially ones that involve forces and transfer of heat) using the British system is a LOT more complicated

AdamSelene · Dec 9, 2009

sumday said:
Fahrenheit, it just makes no sense

Actually Fahrenheit is a much better measurement system for temperatures. 1 degree Fahrenheit is approximately the smallest unit of temperature change that can be felt by humans, and 0-100 encompasses 98% of normal surface temperatures on the planet.

Celsius sucks as a measurement scale, and isn't any more scientific anyway (who the fuck cares what the freezing and boiling points of water and earth's sea level are).

For all other measures I'll agree with you.

RobFunk · Dec 9, 2009

Can you really invision Musberger or Buck saying "It's 3rd and a few centimeters" ?! That's just for starters.

I guess it's something we would have to get used to.

Sports wise?! OMG. There is SO much that we would have to change. Think of the record books, etc.

why does America not use the metric system??

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