The rest of the world uses it. Medical professions use it. The sciences use it. NASA couldn't figure it out however and lost a Mars lander a decade ago though...
They should have 40 year ago
The rest of the world uses it. Medical professions use it. The sciences use it. NASA couldn't figure it out however and lost a Mars lander a decade ago though...
Back in the day we used metric for long distances and inch/feet for smaller measurements. The objective was some many Klicks away, the weapon's max eff range was in meters but you dug the M60 tripod in 8" and measured the hole you dug for your fighting position in feet.
Didn't confuse us to use the blend, now just how did a pack of Rocket Scientists lose the Mars thing???
The rest of the world uses it. Medical professions use it. The sciences use it. NASA couldn't figure it out however and lost a Mars lander a decade ago though...
A NASA review board found that the problem was in the software controlling the orbiter’s thrusters. The software calculated the force the thrusters needed to exert in pounds of force. A separate piece of software took in the data assuming it was in the metric unit: newtons.
Going metric sounds easy until you consider all the machinery that would need to be retooled in such a way as to calibrate in metric. The costs would be absolutely staggering. The housing collapse of a few years ago would look like a drop in the bucket in comparison.
How about if all newly built machinery is done in metric and let the old stuff just die out over time?
Going metric sounds easy until you consider all the machinery that would need to be retooled in such a way as to calibrate in metric. The costs would be absolutely staggering. The housing collapse of a few years ago would look like a drop in the bucket in comparison.
That is ridiculous. You wouldn't change everything overnight, you would gradually phase in the metric system. You don't even need to retool, just re-label your 5/8 wrench to 15.875mm.
Its not like using imperial units is the end of the world, but its lack of efficiency does have costs in education and engineering.
So,how would this be accomplished,say, for lumber mills or metal hardware manufacturers?
I'd suggest a walk through your local Home Depot or Lowes to get an idea of all that would have to be changed.
The rest of the world uses it. Medical professions use it. The sciences use it. NASA couldn't figure it out however and lost a Mars lander a decade ago though...
Or 48 decayears.They should have 40 year ago
Nov. 10, 1999: Metric Math Mistake Muffed Mars Meteorology Mission | This Day in Tech | WIRED
I was wrong it was an orbiter not lander... my bad.
NASA has computed that it would cost 370 million dollars to convert to metric. That is just NASA.
What a naive idea it is to think it would be effortless or inexpensive for the entire United States to follow suit.
Well ... no. The majority of large scale American manufacturing is already done in metric. Whether it's the auto industry, military/gov't contractors and even consumer goods. Already metricated in the later half of the 20th Century.Going metric sounds easy until you consider all the machinery that would need to be retooled in such a way as to calibrate in metric. The costs would be absolutely staggering. The housing collapse of a few years ago would look like a drop in the bucket in comparison.
So,how would this be accomplished,say, for lumber mills or metal hardware manufacturers?
I'd suggest a walk through your local Home Depot or Lowes to get an idea of all that would have to be changed.
Or actually Gardener, are you more familiar with construction? The construction, building materials, real estate, related industry are the metric laggards in the US. Almost every industry has moved toward metrication EXCEPT them. In fact they're the #1 culprits for keeping Canada only halfway metricated too. Canada imports a large portion of its building supplies from the US & thus they are forced to keep the Imperial units going.Well Canada is really still in transition, since we import quite a lot form the U.S. in terms of building supplies but anything made here is in metric. So switch over so we can finish. While you are at it, ditch the Phillips head screw and adopt the Robertson.
Yes, but not because the rest of the world uses it, but why the rest of the world uses it: http://www.metric4us.com/why.htmlThe rest of the world uses it. Medical professions use it. The sciences use it. NASA couldn't figure it out however and lost a Mars lander a decade ago though...