[Geezer]

My term paper is in Spamish.

[syhprum]

The astromoners are the ones that really annoy me who talk about the output of supernovas in ergs and radiation in Angstroms

[evan_au]

In Australia, we are mostly metric, although newborn mass is mostly described in pounds (at least amongst the older generation).

TV screens are labelled in inches and centimetres, but most people refer to the inches.

Some overseas food franchises still sell a "quarter pounder burger" or a "foot-long sub".
The staff looks really confused if you ask for a "30 centimetre sub".

[teragram]

Whatever happened to the metric system conversion in the United States?
                                 
                                 « Reply #7 on: 16/11/2009 16:45:16 »
                                 
                              
                           
                              I would love to see the US convert to the metric system but there are so many difficulties that it is only a slim possibility at this point. In particular, I have heard that the auto industry would have a terrible time retooling to work in a metric system. I also think there is no political will in the US to convert to metric because, for ignorant political extremists, conversion to the metric system would be deferring to the Europeans.

I started working in UK engineering in 1973. Metrication was already well under way, and has since replaced imperial completely, and enthusiastically. Unfortunately the UK general public wanted none of it. The rule that made UK shops sell everything in grams and kilograms was met with almost revolution by the electorate, although you can still ask for and get, for instance 5lbs (pounds weight, not to be confused with pounds money) of potatoes, or a 1/4lb of boiled ham etc. The medical profession have to weigh patients in KG's, but the staff always convert lbs and ounces for the benefit of the patients. We have the depressing situation where for years our children have been taught in metric at school, and upon leaving are brainwashed by adults into adopting the Imperial system. Whilst I agree with your succinct remark on ignorant political extremists....deferring to the Europeans, even the non-extremist members of the UK general public refuse to accept metrication. The introduction of metric currency in the UK happened overnight (how else could it?). We all got used to it fairly quickly, although not without extensive grumbling. When the subject of using metric units comes up in groups I like to say "who would want to return to the monetary system of pounds, shilling and pence?". This usually results in an embarrassed silence, and shuffling of feet.

[alancalverd]

No metric nation ever put a man on the moon.

[Bored chemist]

No metric nation ever put a man on the moon.

Nor did an metric nation do this
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrication_in_the_United_States#Mars_orbiter_blunder

And a metric computer did put a man on the moon- it just translated the displays for the outdated people on board.
"With respect to units, the LGC was eclectic. Inside the computer we used metric units, at least in the case of powered-flight navigation and guidance. At the operational level NASA, and especially the astronauts, preferred English units. This meant that before being displayed, altitude and altitude-rate (for example) were calculated from the metric state vector maintained by navigation, and then were converted to feet and ft/sec. It would have felt weird to speak of spacecraft altitude in meters, and both thrust and mass were commonly expressed in pounds. Because part of the point of this paper is to show how things were called in this era of spaceflight, I shall usually express quantities in the units that it would have felt natural to use at the time."
https://www.doneyles.com/LM/Tales.html

[alancalverd]

Ah yes, metric navigation and astronomy. 10 degrees to a circle. 10 hours in a day. 1000 days in a year. Nature just doesn't work that way.

[teragram]

Anybody remember the slug?

[teragram]

Anybody remember the slug?

I'll take that as a "no" then.

For the benefit of people living in countries where logical systems of weights and measures are used, the following illustrates the burden that we Brits place ourselves under. It was worse for those in engineering and other technical areas, where the "British Foot Pound Second system" was used.
Quoted from a technical book, first published in 1955:-

Sub Chapter: "System of Units"

"The unit of mass is known as the SLUG,
The unit of force as the POUND WEIGHT,
The unit of acceleration as 1ft. Per sec/sec....."

Question "If a body having a MASS of 1lb.............."(!!!)

I thought it said earlier that the unit of mass was the SLUG?
It goes on to say that "A force of 1lb will accelerate a mass of 1lb at g ft per sec per sec".
So on the face of it the lb(pound) is both a unit of mass and a unit of force.
Regarding the Imperial System, an example following is phrased thus:-

Question:- "A motor vehicle weighing 14cwt. 1qr. 14lb is travelling at a speed of......."
If I remember rightly, had the vehicle been 1lb heavier, the weight might have been given as 14cwt. 1qtr. 1stone, 1lb.
I refer to such units as being in the "Quaint" system.
But, as the world knows following recent political events, us Brits like to make things difficult for ourselves.

If anyone is interested, the SLUG is that mass that accelerates at 1foot per sec per sec when acted upon by a force of 1lb, or 1lb * g.

[Colin2B]

I remember it, but thankfully i have forgotten it’s meaning along with rods, chains, and a lot of others ive fortunately forgotten.

[syhprum]

Last on my visit to the USA I bought a weather satellite antenna that requires a 3/4 inch plumbing fitting to mount it on the mast no big deal one would think one can buy 3/4 inch fittings in the UK only they don't fit into a USA socket !
I must patiently wait for my next trip to the USA for the Indy500 when my first trip will be to a plumbing supply store. 

[Colin2B]

The old imperial for pipes was an inner diameter whereas metric is outer. That’s ok for 1/2” as they will fit, but 3/4” needs an adaptor either a capiliary fitting or a different olive on compression.
I thought the US std was inner dia as well, perhaps someone out there knows.

[Bored chemist]

Anybody remember the slug?

Yes, it is the bastard offspring of the poundal.

Ah yes, metric navigation and astronomy. 10 degrees to a circle. 10 hours in a day. 1000 days in a year. Nature just doesn't work that way.

Nobody said it did.

No metric nation ever put a man on the moon.

A metric  nation got man into space  first.

[Bored chemist]

I must patiently wait for my next trip to the USA

Ever heard of international postage?

[Colin2B]

Anybody remember the slug?

Yes, it is the bastard offspring of the poundal.

Oh no, not the poundal. I had forgotten, why did you have to remind me?
We had to do it at school, fortunately metric systems were available to ease the pain.
I now need to go to a quiet place and try to forget.

[wolfekeeper]

No metric nation ever put a man on the moon.

Ironically, the lunar lander computers used metric internally, they only converted back to feet etc. for display purposes.

[alancalverd]

I remember it, but thankfully i have forgotten it’s meaning along with rods, chains, and a lot of others ive fortunately forgotten.

Come on, Colin. A chain is the length of a cricket pitch, everywhere. Nothing else really  matters.

[Colin2B]

Come on, Colin. A chain is the length of a cricket pitch, everywhere. Nothing else really  matters.

LOL I’d forgotten that as well. Glad to hear someone is keeping history alive. Although i suppose it’s not history yet.

[evan_au]

Ah yes, metric navigation and astronomy. 10 degrees to a circle. 10 hours in a day. 1000 days in a year. Nature just doesn't work that way.

The French introduced metric time and a metric calendar after the French Revolution.

However, they abandoned it a few years later. One of the complaints was from the workers: they thought that the 10-day week had devalued their weekend.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Republican_Calendar

[alancalverd]

When history is dead and buried, civilisation (i.e. cricket) will continue, with 6 balls per over (9" circumference, 5½ ounces weight). The length of the bat may be no more than 38 inches and the width no more than 4¼ inches. The overall width of each wicket is 9 inches. Each stump is 28 inches tall with maximum and minimum diameters of 1​1⁄2 inches and 1​3⁄8 inches.

The Roman army recognised that a man's shoe is about a  foot long (they invented standardised shoe sizes), and he needs a pound of bread every day as a minimum marching ration. Having ten fingers makes it easy to count a millia passuum (that's a statute mile) on land.

The Babylonians divided the circle into 360 parts, which is why a minute of latitude is a nautical mile: a very sensible measure (6000 ft) as 1 knot  (nautical mile per hour) equals 100 feet per minute of time. Now 6000 ft is a very comfortable altitude to fly without pressurisation and a rate of climb of 10 knots is easily achievable for most powered aircraft, so air traffic control sticks to these useful units: flying a metric aircraft is full of dangerous ambiguity. 

A fathom is a man's span, so plumbing a channel in bad weather is easy and reliable if your Admiralty charts are British or American, and fraught with difficulty if metric.

Metrication is the bastard son of the French Revolution and not to be trusted.