Okay, people. Really. How do you feel about this? Do you really think that the [stupid] system used in the United States of America is okay? How many inches in a foot? How many feet in a yard? How many yards in a mile? How many inches in a mile? And let's not even TALK about the fact that measurements less than an inch are just eighths or sixteenths of an inch! How many quarts in a gallon? How many pints in a gallon? How many cups in a pint? How many fluid ounces in a cup?
It's ridiculous, people. And you know what? Going metric isn't that hard. Just do it. Embrace the simplicity.
Today I had to figure out the size ratio of a 4'x4' square to a 8.5"x5.5" rectangle and a 6"x3.5" rectangle. And my head nearly exploded trying to figure out how I would possibly do it. And then Google SAVED MY LIFE (except for the fact that I could possibly have billed hourly for the time it took me to do all that math myself...) when I realized that I could just Google "4 feet in cm" etc. for all my measurements to put it all into a system that actually makes sense and is based on the same units of measurement, instead of a stinking pile of made up garbage.
Speaking of a stinking pile of made up garbage, Fahrenheit also sucks. I mean, come on. Don't you want to use a system where 0 is freezing and 100 is boiling? What's this crap about saying "it's below freezing" when you're referring to 10 degrees? It hardly makes any sense. In Celsius, if it's a negative number, it's below freezing. So simple.
Why must it be so unnecessarily complicated?
17 comments:
Off the top of my head:
12 inches in a foot
3 feet in a yard
1260 (?) yards in a mile
no idea how many inches in a mile
4 quarts in a gallon
8 pints in a gallon
2 cups in a pint
8 fluid ounces in a cup
Seriously, though, the standard system is stupid, and metric is not that hard to learn. I think the bigger issue is probably the cost to switch things over, but I think we should just suck it up and get it over with.
Also, apparently it's 1760 yards to a mile, not 1260. I knew that didn't sound quite right. But at least I know that it's 5280 feet to a mile.
Yeah, I was thinking about the money thing, but the EU was able to change their currency and that's a big expensive change! So what's a little change in the metric system. And think of how much money can be saved in the education system when units of measurement doesn't have to take an entire grade to learn. You just cover it in one lesson and the kids will have it down! And what about the financial strain on the economy of people spending valuable working time trying to figure out complex math problems that would be easy in the metric system! Also think of the drain on the economy that is caused by people making errors in their calculations, that then have to be corrected! I think there are ways to save money by switching to metric!
p.s., Didn't you answer how many feet are in a mile during your application process at FC? So did you give the right answer or the wrong answer? I don't think that anyone fact-checked. We were just impressed that you were giving the answer off the top of your head while you were taking a test.
I'm in! Metric!
I agree! We should convert to metric, and while we're doing that, let's convert to the "stones" form of weight measurement. I know it doesn't make any sense either, but I'd much rather weigh a couple of stones than a couple hundred of anything.
If we went metric, we wouldn't have to do conversions in science classes!!!!
Yes, I did answer how many feet are in a mile while I was taking the editing test at FC, and I did indeed get it right.
I used to think, "What's the big deal? Standard vs. Metric?" (PS - standard is probably a rude title for American's to use... I bet metric was around long before.) But then i got in the medical field and it is makes so much more sense to use metric. If we are going to change one of the measurements - it should be temperature.
While you're at it, how 'bout health care?
When I was in the third grade they told me we would be metric by the time I was in junior high. I guess that didn't happen.
Okay, so, I know I'm American and everything, but yeah. We need to go metric.
My latest adventure in knitting needles was enough to tip me over the edge. Cuz, see, in Europe and the UK the sizes actually have something to do with the needles's measurement in millimeters. The US needle sizes were just pulled out of someone's butt. So dumb.
Hear Hear!
And you've focused on everyday measurements - ignoring the exotica of barrels, furlongs, fathoms....
I can multiply and divide by 10 so much more easily. For some reason, crude oil is still sold only in barrels - 42 gallons.
Then Troy and Avoirdupois systems - leading to the query of which is heavier - a pound of feathers or a pound of gold? The answer? Feathers - a pound of feathers has 16 ounces and Gold uses Troy pounds which have 12 ounces. ...
amen, coming from the wife of a math teacher. Hey, rulers/tape measures/liquid measuring cups have both systems of measurement on them, why not just print the metrics only?
Metric would take some getting used to, but it would be all for the best. Everyone's doing it.
I also think that the U.S. should do away with pennies. They're completely useless unless you consider being annoying the purpose.
The change from Imperial (what it was called in Canada) to Metric happened before you were born - and there was some good stuff that happened along the way.
Like the people who didn't want metric because it would mean that there would only be 20 hours in a day....
Or the ones who were upset because we'd only get 10 eggs in a dozen.
But the really funny thing was that when it happened, the change to metric virtually stopped all sales of meat. I mean, the price more than doubled (you were getting twice as much, but still). It was an emotional obstacle that people couldn't seem to overcome. So the Canadian government changed the requirement for meat to be displayed in metric and imperial with metric more prominent(which is how they started things off), and it allowed grocers and butchers to display the Imperial measurements very clearly. The metric costs were in fine print.
Good times.
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