Metric system...
- Thread starter Jeslek
- Start date
Jeslek
Banned
As an alternative topic, should we metricize the clock? Think about it... We could keep 24 hours per day (10 would confuse me too much), but we could make 100 minutes per hour, and 100 seconds per minute. That would make a Old Second ~= 3 New Seconds
Or, what about metricizing degrees? Instead of 360 degrees in a circle, make it 1000. That would be confusing... Who uses degrees anyways... Radians > degrees
Or, what about metricizing degrees? Instead of 360 degrees in a circle, make it 1000. That would be confusing... Who uses degrees anyways... Radians > degrees
Ardsgaine
Active Member
LastLegionary said:As an alternative topic, should we metricize the clock? Think about it... We could keep 24 hours per day (10 would confuse me too much), but we could make 100 minutes per hour, and 100 seconds per minute. That would make a Old Second ~= 3 New Seconds
Or, what about metricizing degrees? Instead of 360 degrees in a circle, make it 1000. That would be confusing... Who uses degrees anyways... Radians > degrees
No, there's a good reason for using 360 degrees. It's evenly divisible by lots of different numbers.
I prefer the metric system for measurements and doing calculations, but living in the states I'm stuck with feet and inches.
Shadowfax
<b>mod cow</b>
Leslie said:Metric, except for weights, can't seem to get that into my head, so it's pounds, ounces and quarters for me.
That is common in Canada, isn't it?
Quite confusing, a mix of metric and Imperial! Why can't just everybody use the metric system? It would make things so much easier, in particular for engineers! Believe me, it would be so much easier! Then I didn't have to convert the bloody inches to milimeters all the time etc etc
It's switched officially, here the problem is that anyone older than me, which is a HUGE part of the population, was never taught metric, so there will be a mix for a good while I think 
I like metric better, it's easier to do mathematially, but the imperial weights, and some measures seem to stick with me, from mom and dad I guess.
I like metric better, it's easier to do mathematially, but the imperial weights, and some measures seem to stick with me, from mom and dad I guess.
Ardsgaine
Active Member
In the US everyone uses the English system, but the metric measurements are required to be included on all products. Used to they required metric measurements on the speed limit signs, but they stopped doing that, I think because it was causing confusion. ("But the sign said 88 miles per hour!!")
I know at one time the government wanted to switch everyone over, but instead of just dropping the English system and adopting the metric system, they were trying to teach children how to convert between the two. That made people hate it. The metric system is sublimely simple, but converting from metric to English is a major headache.
I was discussing it with my dad once. I used to work with him doing drywall. He was saying that if we converted sheetrock measurements to metric, then they wouldn't be even. A sheet of rock is 4' wide by 12' long. I said, no, we could just make the sheetrock an even 1.2 m wide by 3.6 meters long. That would be 120 cm by 360 cm, both of them are easily divisible by 3 and 2, which is important for the stud layout. In inches that would be about 47" by 142", not far off what they are now, and who cares about the difference?
Converting to metric would be simple, but people in the US are completely hung up on inches, pounds and gallons.
I know at one time the government wanted to switch everyone over, but instead of just dropping the English system and adopting the metric system, they were trying to teach children how to convert between the two. That made people hate it. The metric system is sublimely simple, but converting from metric to English is a major headache.
I was discussing it with my dad once. I used to work with him doing drywall. He was saying that if we converted sheetrock measurements to metric, then they wouldn't be even. A sheet of rock is 4' wide by 12' long. I said, no, we could just make the sheetrock an even 1.2 m wide by 3.6 meters long. That would be 120 cm by 360 cm, both of them are easily divisible by 3 and 2, which is important for the stud layout. In inches that would be about 47" by 142", not far off what they are now, and who cares about the difference?
Converting to metric would be simple, but people in the US are completely hung up on inches, pounds and gallons.
unclehobart
New Member
My car gets 2400 hand spans to the gill ... and thats how I likes it goldurnit! Metric schmetric. It the ancient Sumerian shusi system for me or nothing at all. *spits defiantly*
Exactly! 
and I was curious after that, so I went and found this wonderful site which tells me that according to my drivers license, I am 5.4133858 feet tall. 