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Should the USA adopt the International System of Units (SI)?

Should the USA adopt the International System of Units (SI)?


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How is that relevant to your remark that switching to the metric system because the rest of the world is doing it is the same as jumping off a cliff cause someone else does? Switching to metric is nothing like jumping off a cliff in general it just simplifies life. Having everyone on the same system works best for everyone.

Then switch because of that. Not because "everyone else is doing it".
 
Because we so often need to know how many feet are in a mile....... :roll: I do know that answer by the way ;)

It's a fundamental part of being an adult to understand the system of measurements of the society around you. Most Americans couldn't tell you how many ounces are in a pound either.

It's really time for us to get rid of this crap. We need to ease into it though, just start teaching both systems, and making all new devices and signs in SI. All previous devices can be grandfathered in. Eventually it'll be gone.

There is absolutely zero benefit to keeping the imperial system. In fact, it's screwing us in a lot of ways. For instance, the Mars Climate Orbiter, a satellite we launched to orbit Mars, ended up crashing into the surface because a bit of software was written in imperial units instead of SI.

Then switch because of that. Not because "everyone else is doing it".
Well there's a reason everyone's doing it: it's simply superior in every way.

We have structured our society to be a base 10 society. It is only natural that our system of measurements is also base 10. Imperial isn't base anything, each unit is completely arbitrary. 12 inches to a foot, 16 oz to a lb, 5,280 feet to a mile.
 
Some thoughts:

Having different electrical standards and plugs is more annoying than differing measures and there are many things between countries that have to be converted: currency, language, laws, etc.

Those discussing the calendar: WRONG THREAD, that's formatting, not a measurement standard that is different.

The metric system being more accurate? WRONG. Using whole numbers, the metric system is more precise. If you go to decimal places, they are equally accurate
 
Some thoughts:

Having different electrical standards and plugs is more annoying than differing measures and there are many things between countries that have to be converted: currency, language, laws, etc.

Those discussing the calendar: WRONG THREAD, that's formatting, not a measurement standard that is different.

The metric system being more accurate? WRONG. Using whole numbers, the metric system is more precise. If you go to decimal places, they are equally accurate
There is no uniformity in imperial. Each unit is comprised of different numbers. IE: 12 inches to a foot, 16 oz to a lb, 5,280 feet to a mile. Decimals are also completely incompatible with the imperial system, so what you're describing won't work. That's why they have to use fractions, which is ridiculous. .0625 oz in a pound? Really?

In SI everything is base 10, in both directions. It's also the standard for engineering and scientific notation.

1X10^12 = tera
1X10^9 = giga
1X10^6 = mega
1X10^3 = kilo
1x10^-3 = milli
1x10^-6 = micro
1x10^-9 = nano
1x10^-12 = pico

This one standard applies to almost every single unit, whether it be electrical values, volume, mass, length, etc. etc. etc.

It's the easiest to learn, the easiest to remember, and the most efficient and logical. Remembering this one set of values means you know 99% of the SI system.
 
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There is no uniformity in imperial. Each unit is comprised of different numbers. IE: 12 inches to a foot, 16 oz to a lb, 5,280 feet to a mile.

In SI everything is base 10, in both directions. It's also the standard for engineering notation.

1X10^12 = tera
1X10^9 = giga
1X10^6 = mega
1X10^3 = kilo
1x10^-3 = milli
1x10^-6 = micro
1x10^-9 = nano
1x10^-12 = pico

This one standard applies to almost every single unit, whether it be electrical values, volume, mass, length, etc. etc. etc.

It's the easiest to learn, the easiest to remember, and the most efficient and logical. Remembering this one set of values means you know 99% of the SI system.

Unless you happen to have anything made using those "other" systems of measurment and wish to get replacement parts. ;)
 
Unless you happen to have anything made using those "other" systems of measurment and wish to get replacement parts. ;)

I live in Canada We use the metric system yet I have no problems buying tools/parts in imperial.
 
It would simply be too expensive to do all at once.

If it was attempted even over the next 20 years, it would certainly not be personnel costs that people would be complaining about when it came to military spending. It would be the cost of replacing so much equipment, basically whole ships (with a few minor exceptions), and likely whole tanks and planes and trucks and other equipment.

It simply isn't worth the cost. Sure other countries did it, but generally, the major countries did it either prior to them becoming a major industrial, machinery dependent country or their country simply doesn't care about the cost of changing things the same way ours does.
 
Unless you happen to have anything made using those "other" systems of measurment and wish to get replacement parts. ;)

Well I've already described a solution to this. Yes, it would be extremely expensive to switch right now cold turkey. We have to ease into it. We need to have two systems for a while. Declare SI the primary system of units, and imperial the secondary. Teach both, create new products in SI, grandfather old products in imperial. After a few decades it'll be gone entirely. Pain-free.

It would simply be too expensive to do all at once.

If it was attempted even over the next 20 years, it would certainly not be personnel costs that people would be complaining about when it came to military spending. It would be the cost of replacing so much equipment, basically whole ships (with a few minor exceptions), and likely whole tanks and planes and trucks and other equipment.

It simply isn't worth the cost. Sure other countries did it, but generally, the major countries did it either prior to them becoming a major industrial, machinery dependent country or their country simply doesn't care about the cost of changing things the same way ours does.

See above. It wouldn't cost much.
 
20-30 years after you switch over I wont need my imperial tools anymore
 
See above. It wouldn't cost much.

Do you know how much a nuclear aircraft carrier costs? We have about a dozen of them, either active or under construction. Not to mention the around 70 nuclear subs. Oh, and the hundreds of other ships that are mainly built using the American system.
 
Do you know how much a nuclear aircraft carrier costs? We have about a dozen of them, either active or under construction. Not to mention the around 70 nuclear subs. Oh, and the hundreds of other ships, that are mainly built using the American system.

Don't have to rebuild them under metric you can just use both until they are scrapped
 
Well I've already described a solution to this. Yes, it would be extremely expensive to switch right now cold turkey. We have to ease into it. We need to have two systems for a while. Declare SI the primary system of units, and imperial the secondary. Teach both, create new products in SI, grandfather old products in imperial. After a few decades it'll be gone entirely. Pain-free.



See above. It wouldn't cost much.

I suppose yet ordering 3.81 x 8.89 x 243.84 lumber might seem harder than ordering 2 x 4 x 8' lumber. ;)
 
Don't have to rebuild them under metric you can just use both until they are scrapped

Which would take many more than 3 decades. It took over 50 years to scrap the Enterprise. That is my point. It could be done, but it simply won't be done in a decade or two, not without major costs. It would take many decades, possibly even up to a century.
 
Do you know how much a nuclear aircraft carrier costs? We have about a dozen of them, either active or under construction. Not to mention the around 70 nuclear subs. Oh, and the hundreds of other ships that are mainly built using the American system.

Did you not read what I said? Teach sailors both systems, make all new ships in SI, keep all the legacy ships in imperial.

That would cost next to nothing.

I suppose yet ordering 3.81 x 8.89 x 243.84 lumber might seem harder than ordering 2 x 4 x 8' lumber. ;)

So, keep both standards. Maybe a 4 x 9 x 244 metric standard alongside the 2 x 4 x 8 imperial standard. If there's legacy imperial lumper equipment, use imperial until the equipment is inevitably replaced by SI equipment.

Which would take many more than 3 decades. It took over 50 years to scrap the Enterprise. That is my point. It could be done, but it simply won't be done in a decade or two, not without major costs. It would take many decades, possibly even up to a century.

An aircraft carrier is not in service for a century. In service is the only thing that matters.
 
Did you not read what I said? Teach sailors both systems, make all new ships in SI, keep all the legacy ships in imperial.

That would cost next to nothing.

So, keep both standards. Maybe a 4 x 9 x 244 metric standard alongside the 2 x 4 x 8 imperial standard. If there's legacy imperial lumper equipment, use imperial until the equipment is inevitably replaced by SI equipment.

An aircraft carrier is not in service for a century. In service is the only thing that matters.

We save money on ships by reusing some parts. I can't go much into it, but there are certain things on our ships and in our testing that have been in service for over half a century already, and still work.
 
We save money on ships by reusing some parts. I can't go much into it, but there are certain things on our ships and in our testing that have been in service for over half a century already, and still work.

If those parts aren't convertible, they should be retired and not implemented into a new ship. All in all, when you look at our entire economy and not recycled ship parts, the cost is near nothing to convert.
 
It's a fundamental part of being an adult to understand the system of measurements of the society around you. Most Americans couldn't tell you how many ounces are in a pound either.

It's really time for us to get rid of this crap. We need to ease into it though, just start teaching both systems, and making all new devices and signs in SI. All previous devices can be grandfathered in. Eventually it'll be gone.

There is absolutely zero benefit to keeping the imperial system. In fact, it's screwing us in a lot of ways. For instance, the Mars Climate Orbiter, a satellite we launched to orbit Mars, ended up crashing into the surface because a bit of software was written in imperial units instead of SI.


Well there's a reason everyone's doing it: it's simply superior in every way.

We have structured our society to be a base 10 society. It is only natural that our system of measurements is also base 10. Imperial isn't base anything, each unit is completely arbitrary. 12 inches to a foot, 16 oz to a lb, 5,280 feet to a mile.

They already teach both.... You will create more problems by getting rid of it, trust me.
 
They already teach both.... You will create more problems by getting rid of it, trust me.
Depends on the school. I was taught both in college, but SI was primary.

What problems? Detail them for me please. What problems could possibly arise by simply not making new devices in imperial? We let the imperial devices slowly retire out. This is what most of the world has already done, and it worked.
 
Depends on the school. I was taught both in college, but SI was primary.
What problems? Detail them for me please. What problems could possibly arise by simply not making new devices in imperial? We let the imperial devices slowly retire out. This is what most of the world has already done, and it worked.



First, you assume that people know the imperial system (I know it is easy, and you do) but not everyone knows it. How will you re-educate the entire country?

2nd. If you phase it out completely on new devices you are going to have compatibility issues, and people will have to do conversions and won't know what to do.

I have no problem with puting SI as primary on everything, but I don't think it is wise to remove imperial since that is what people know.
 
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Before choosing International Relations/Government/PoliSci as a major in undergrad, I initially wanted to be a physics major; the school I went to (at the time) offered no such major. But in prepping for it, I found the SI system intuitive, simple, and common-sense. Should we adopt it? I would not be opposed, and I think children introduced to it would likely understand it much better than imperial. At the same time, learn the mathematical conversions until we do. It certainly is not complicated.
 
If those parts aren't convertible, they should be retired and not implemented into a new ship. All in all, when you look at our entire economy and not recycled ship parts, the cost is near nothing to convert.

I don't have an actual issue with converting, I just don't think it is going to happen soon. It will cost money to implement and, like or not, illogical or not, many Americans just don't really see the necessity in spending that money to make the conversion.
 
I don't have an actual issue with converting, I just don't think it is going to happen soon. It will cost money to implement and, like or not, illogical or not, many Americans just don't really see the necessity in spending that money to make the conversion.
I agree, it won't happen soon, but it SHOULD. As for the money, I think for the most part either the costs would be negligable, or it would pay for itself in the long run.

First, you assume that people know the imperial system (I know it is easy, and you do) but not everyone knows it. How will you re-educate the entire country?

2nd. If you phase it out completely on new devices you are going to have compatibility issues, and people will have to do conversions and won't know what to do.

I have no problem with puting SI as primary on everything, but I don't think it is wise to remove imperial since that is what people know.

It won't be removed, it would be run along SI until the grandfathered devices went out of service. Most schools already teach SI and imperial. You could learn SI in about 10 minutes. It's really that easy. You're making it a big deal when it's not.
 
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I agree, it won't happen soon, but it SHOULD. As for the money, I think for the most part either the costs would be negligable, or it would pay for itself in the long run.

I don't disagree. I just don't think that most people care as much about the long run as they do about how much something will cost them right now. If we cared about the long run, we would definitely have much more efficient equipment overall and most things would have been upgraded to operate so much better (possibly even at a cheaper cost).

It's kinda like the energy efficient light bulbs. Everyone should use them considering their efficiency and cost savings, but most won't.

But there really isn't much cost savings overall in just converting to metric. There would be savings in doing it to update equipment (but then again, I was in charge of maintenance of that equipment I was talking about earlier and it sucked, there is no way that was more cost efficient than the old ones we had).
 
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