Countries that don't use the metric system.

by **DigDog** Tue Mar 29, 2011 2:29 pm

Discuss.

by **Flaw of Insanity** Tue Mar 29, 2011 2:48 pm

Oh the hilarity.

by **Darre** Tue Mar 29, 2011 6:05 pm

3 countries still suck... Metric system is the here and now, whatever they use is the getbeatupinanalleythanlayinyourownbloodallnight system.

by Rixuel Tue Mar 29, 2011 9:19 pm

I guess it's real then

by V Tue Mar 29, 2011 10:34 pm

>Alaska is a country

Seriously though, I wish America did. It would make it much easier to do Physics.

by **DigDog** Wed Mar 30, 2011 12:31 am

You know what's interesting?

Actually the metric system is used here in US a HELL of a lot more than anyone thinks.

Absolutely ALL engineering facilities, physics, chemistry, aviation, research, factories, architecture etc.. pretty much the core of US economics uses the metric system in their day-to-day calculations.

Only the general population uses the imperial system, which is no different than the metric system when it comes to getting stuff done... it's just a matter of being used to it that's all...

The United States was (is?) one of the biggest supporters for the metric system.

"The U.S. adopted the metric system in 1866. What the U.S. has failed to do is to restrict or prohibit the use of traditional units in areas touching the ordinary citizen"

http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/usmetric.html

by Xusha Wed Mar 30, 2011 1:45 am

The old people running America are too scared to learn this "new" system. It is probably widely supported, but America leaves their decisions to a lot of old people.

by **Winnie** Wed Mar 30, 2011 2:51 am

Eh, I kinda like the customary system. Mostly just because I find the metric system confusing, that's all. I'm too lazy to move decimals. And also, the fact that I've had it hammered into my brain since age 4 probably helps... but I don't know. I totally failed the math unit where we had to learn about the metric system...

by **Altera** Wed Mar 30, 2011 5:01 am

Even though I'm in a metric country I still like using imperial units from time-to-time.

by **Erik** Wed Mar 30, 2011 6:03 am

The real reason the US hasn't changed is that there are plenty of industries that do use the imperial system, and have used it, and now if we want to change it all we have to replace all of these boards of wood with 5.4534634673473 m and such if we want to switch over.

by **Juliana** Wed Mar 30, 2011 6:19 am

I think the other part of the reason is for those people like me, who feel a heck of a lot more comfortable with the imperial system anyway. Metric is okay for scientific purposes; it's a scientific system. Imperial is better for human purposes; you can't estimate a centimeter with your thumb.

Plus, the metric system has ONE awesome story behind it. The imperial system has an awesome story behind EVERY unit of measure.

by Peregrine Wed Mar 30, 2011 6:29 am

Yeah, that's it Erik. That's the root of the metric vs. imperial debate. Because if America converts to metric it could utterly ruin their board industry.

I personally favour the metric system because of how easy it is to convert between measurements. All you need to understand is how to multiply by ten. I don't have to remember that a league is 15,840 feet. I don't have to remember that a mile is 8 furlongs, which in turn is 10 chains, which in turn is 4 rods, which in turn is 25 links, which in turn is 7.92 inches. I don't need to remember that a thou is 0.0000033333333 feet. I don't need to remember that a perch is a rod by a rod or that an acre is a furlong by a chain, which is in turn 160 square rods. All I need to remember is how to multiply by 10, which I can somehow do despite not being a scientist.

by **Juliana** Wed Mar 30, 2011 6:37 am

The metric system is designed to make science easier, and that's all well and good as far as it goes... but the imperial system is just plain fun. Where in the metric system would you find a unit of atomic measure known as the "barn?" (Though the barn is one of maybe three imperial units permitted for use with the metric system; it's a unit of length equal to the size of the average uranium atom and stemming from a joke among nuclear physicists that said atom is "as big as a barn.")

by Peregrine Wed Mar 30, 2011 6:43 am

The metric system isn't designed to make science easier, it's designed to make measurement easier.

by **Juliana** Wed Mar 30, 2011 6:46 am

And that's only really necessary for scientific purposes... all else, it grates on me enough that I want to travel back in time to the French Revolution and assassinate the inventors of the metric system before they can foul up the world with their disgusting new system.

by Peregrine Wed Mar 30, 2011 7:22 am

by **Darre** Wed Mar 30, 2011 7:24 am

Well being a Camadian and being influenced by what Americans do, in every day life I use the metric system with some exeptions.
Wood. You get 2 by 4s, not 5 by 9s.(I'm pretty sure that's a good conversion..
Cooking. I don't use grams or litres, I use cups and tablespoons.
Height and weight. I am 5'8" not 170something centimetres tall. For these things the metric system is handy and j have no problems in using it.

I wrote this on my iPod so it took like 20 minutes and isn't really legible so il edit it later.

by **Tim Hortans** Wed Mar 30, 2011 7:35 am

Fellow Camadian reporting in.

We do still use it a bit but that's just for simplicity, five-eight is easier to say than One hundred and 70 Centimeters.

by **DigDog** Wed Mar 30, 2011 8:47 am

Hmm, I get the feeling that I know why you say "Oh the imperial system is so much easier". Wanna know why you think it's easier? Because you grew up with it. I grew up with the metric system and haven't heard of the imperial one until a few years ago. And it's hella confusing. If I had the choice to pick, I'd always pick the metric one, and I'm not a scientist. Not even close. My everyday life has barely to do with using measurements and I still prefer the metric one.

I don't have a problem using grams of flour instead of cups because in the end it's all just a scale on your measuring device. I've never used wood but I don't see how 2 by 4 is better than 5 by 9 or whatever. I've always measured myself in centimeters and especially for kids it's nicer when they measure themselves because you see your progress better ("Look mommy, I grew another centimeter!").

So if we look at it, people mostly prefer the system they grew up with, thinking it's easier. Because you already know it and don't have to learn it again. But if we take a person who learned both systems as a kid, I bet my last Klondike Bar that he/she prefers the metric system for it's better usability. Having a background behind each unit of your measurement sure is nice and nostalgic, but you have to pick priorities here. Usability or nostalgia?

As mentioned, the whole problem why it is still used in the US is habit. Your parents and basically everyone in your daily life uses the imperial system and you come in contact with it every day, beginning in your youngest years. When you finally start learning about the metric system it confuses you at first because it's different from what you've learned until that point in your life and most people don't bother to learn it because of that, even if it's easier once mastered.

Juliana wrote:you can't estimate a centimeter with your thumb.

Why not? How is it easier to estimate an inch (or whatever) with your thumb than a centimeter?

by **Juliana** Wed Mar 30, 2011 8:49 am

The inch was designed as the length of the average human thumb joint.

by **DigDog** Wed Mar 30, 2011 8:51 am

"Average" being the magic word here. Everyone's thumb is different, you can't use it as an exact measurement. And if you want to go with "almost exact" then I can just use the width of my index finger, it's almost a centimeter.

by **Erik** Wed Mar 30, 2011 9:08 am

Dig, calm down. Its not just habit, it has a lot to do with what has already been done. A company can't just change everything they do to a whole different system of measurement, the values wouldn't make sense. It would require a large change in industry; Imagine every single factory has to either label there measurements with 5 decimal points to get a near exact conversion, or change the way they make every object to make it in a metric unit length.

by Rixuel Wed Mar 30, 2011 9:17 am

I prefer metric system more, it's more clear for me.

In the end, it's possible to invent another new system.. but nobody will care about it.

by **Shadow** Wed Mar 30, 2011 4:52 pm

I'm quite sure I can estimate a centimetre as well as measuring inches with thumbs works.

by **DigDog** Wed Mar 30, 2011 5:26 pm

Erik wrote:Dig, calm down. Its not just habit, it has a lot to do with what has already been done. A company can't just change everything they do to a whole different system of measurement, the values wouldn't make sense. It would require a large change in industry; Imagine every single factory has to either label there measurements with 5 decimal points to get a near exact conversion, or change the way they make every object to make it in a metric unit length.

I'm not saying they should stop everything and change to the metric system in the next 24 hours. But it's also not like the metric system was introduced just yesterday. It has been around for quite a while, and all the other countries managed to hop onto the metric train, too. It's only the US who doesn't seem to be able to get away from bad habits for the sake of the future.

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