Whatever happened to the metric system?

[Breaker_Morant]

Yes, I know it still exists but when I was in grade school there was the obligatory chapters in math class about it because the US was going to join the rest of the world (except the UK which still uses some "English measurements" - like miles - and someone correct me if I'm wrong) but we never did. What happened?

Wouldn't we better off if we did? It would have saved us one Mars probe if we had - I'll find the story later.

 

[EmpressFi]

I know we didnt "convert" completely, but a good deal of my every day life as an RN was working with metric measurements.. cc, mls, litres, kg, etc... I use it more than I do English measurements

 

[WriterDom]

Seems like Alabama had metric signs with the English ones and took all the metric down because the people hated them.

Maybe we wouldn't feel so bad if we bought gas by the liter.

 

[Breaker_Morant]

Don't speedometers show both mph/kph?

 

[caela]

Don't speedometers show both mph/kph?

Depends on the car. Mine doesn't.

 

[WriterDom]

Physics, engineering, medical, all the people who work with numbers use metric. They just haven't forced on Joe Sixpack yet. Yeah speedometers, coke cans, most everything is duel marked now.

We should go total metric, don't you think?

 

[Breaker_Morant]

Here is the story I was alluding to earlier:

http://www.cnn.com/TECH/space/9909/30/mars.metric.02/

Notice the last few paragraphs

 

[jockdom]

Its a lot more logical than imperical measurements! But hey we drive on the other side of the road!lol

 

[Breaker_Morant]

But hey we drive on the other side of the road!lol

Why is that?

 

[jockdom]

Why is that?

Stubbornness? Rule britania and aw that pish!

 

[Breaker_Morant]

Physics, engineering, medical, all the people who work with numbers use metric. They just haven't forced on Joe Sixpack yet. Yeah speedometers, coke cans, most everything is duel marked now.

We should go total metric, don't you think?

The military uses the metric system - "a klick" equals one kilometer, the grid squares on a Defense Mapping Agency map are in kilometer blocks, and the compasses I used to call in artillery and to determine location were all metric.

What about the Navy, WD?

 

[WriterDom]

The military uses the metric system - "a klick" equals one kilometer, the grid squares on a Defense Mapping Agency map are in kilometer blocks, and the compasses I used to call in artillery and to determine location were all metric.

What about the Navy, WD?

Well I was in weather and we used the English system for the most part. At least we did back then.

 

[subbie_333]

Physics, engineering, medical, all the people who work with numbers use metric. They just haven't forced on Joe Sixpack yet. Yeah speedometers, coke cans, most everything is duel marked now.

We should go total metric, don't you think?

Yep. 15.24 centimeters sounds so much better than 6 inches

 

[madetotakeit]

But hey we drive on the other side of the road!lol

Why is that?

If I remember correctly, it originated with jousting. As knights would travel they would be prepared to battle at any time. As weapons were carried in the right hand, traveling on the left became the norm.

 

[EmpressFi]

Why is that?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driving_on_the_left_or_right

 

[madetotakeit]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driving_on_the_left_or_right

gotta love Wiki.

 

[Breaker_Morant]

If I remember correctly, it originated with jousting. As knights would travel they would be prepared to battle at any time. As weapons were carried in the right hand, traveling on the left became the norm.

I remember reading something about how knights had over developed right arm and shoulders.

 

[the captians wench]

Yes, I know it still exists but when I was in grade school there was the obligatory chapters in math class about it because the US was going to join the rest of the world (except the UK which still uses some "English measurements" - like miles - and someone correct me if I'm wrong) but we never did. What happened?

Wouldn't we better off if we did? It would have saved us one Mars probe if we had - I'll find the story later.

I remember that probe thing. We had a whole calculous class based around that mistake.

I miss calc.

 

[Sir_Winston54]

I think someone ran out of quarters, so the meter ran out.

 

[twysted73]

Probably took the bus with the Dewey Decimal System.

(damn you dewey.....Oh how I hated & loathed you)

 

[Breaker_Morant]

I think someone ran out of quarters, so the meter ran out.

That was so bad... you need to be assessed a few demerits for that one.