Metrication

[US 89]

Considering some of the students I taught at the University of Oklahoma came in not knowing that millimeters and centimeters are different units, let alone the difference between them, I don't know if Oklahoma is a good example to follow...

I wonder if part of the problem there is the traditional classroom ruler with customary on one side and metric on the other. The metric side is of course marked off in centimeters, but at least on the ones I grew up using in school, the label next to the metric numbers said “mm” presumably to refer to the small tick marks between the bigger numbered cm lines. That confused me for a good while.

[US 89]

It is also worth noting that coded aviation weather reports (METAR) have some slight differences in North America compared to the rest of the world, mostly in the use of customary units for some quantities. Notably, temperature is not one of them - even in the US, it will always be reported in Celsius. So contrary to Poiponen's assertions, Celsius is in fact used in American weather reports - just not common easily accessible public facing ones.

And it's not like North American aviation is a metric leaning field like the sciences - these guys measure speed in knots and pressure in inches of mercury, even as metric equivalents are generally used internationally. So there had to be a specific reason for this. My bet is to emphasize the freezing point especially for international pilots who might not necessarily remember the °F conversion off the top of their heads. A few knots error isn't generally a huge deal, but 34 to 30F is a very big deal. Ice is one of the greatest hazards to aviation not just in terms of runway traction but especially if it accretes on aircraft wings, since that modifies airflow and might result in loss of lift. Any effort to emphasize a scenario where that is a possibility (by having temp in °C with a nice obvious negative sign in front) is a benefit to safety even for pilots familiar with customary units.

[TXtoNJ]

The most bizarre thing about the US is how tax avoidance is seen as patriotic, rather than beneficial but somewhat shameful

Then I strongly suggest you read up on some histories of the Revolution and prelude to the Revolution to understand why.

Unlike you, I don't see those motives as primarily high-minded, fancy prose though they may be cloaked in.

I never said anything to that point.  I'm telling you to look up the "why", whether you agree/disagree with the "why".

1. Fairly certain I know it better than you think
2. There's nearly 300 years of subsequent history (including the first 10) in contradiction to whatever point you're trying to make.

[Poiponen13]

What would be different if metric system had been invented in the UK instead of France?

[kphoger]

What would be different if metric system had been invented in the UK instead of France?

Resisting metrication would be viewed as a noble fight against colonialism.  (Yes, I know France did colonialism too, but notice that I didn't say it would be a logical difference.)

[1995hoo]

What would be different if metric system had been invented in the UK instead of France?

French people would dismissively object to it by shaking their heads and saying, "Zees ees so stoopeed." (In my mind I can hear a French guy in my law school class who used to say that when he didn't like the way something was done in the US.)

[kalvado]

What would be different if metric system had been invented in the UK instead of France?

French people would dismissively object to it by shaking their heads and saying, "Zees ees so stoopeed." (In my mind I can hear a French guy in my law school class who used to say that when he didn't like the way something was done in the US.)

An interesting question...
For one, there was definitely a need for standardization understood throughout. So, it could be a pair of competing metric systems..
And behold - there were actually two  (and even more, but lets limit discussion to 2) competing metric systems! CGS, centimeter-gram-second - was actually a german/english version. Gaussian system didn't introduce separate arbitrary electric unit, so eps₀=mu₀=1, and voltage unit ends up being 300V
Actually my college textbooks still relied on CGS pretty heavily. By now MKS/SI won
If I were to guess, I would say that Edison and Tesla were the key to adopting volt-based system, despite CGS-leaned Maxwell (I believe he worked at MIT back then?). 

[Brandon]

What would be different if metric system had been invented in the UK instead of France?

An interesting question is, what would have happened if the ship carrying the measurement devices from France had actually made it to the US in 1793?

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/12/28/574044232/how-pirates-of-the-caribbean-hijacked-americas-metric-system

We might have had townships 10km on a side, and sections 2km x 2km.  A metric gallon like Canada has (4L jug).

[Poiponen13]

What would be different if metric system had been invented in the UK instead of France?

An interesting question is, what would have happened if the ship carrying the measurement devices from France had actually made it to the US in 1793?

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/12/28/574044232/how-pirates-of-the-caribbean-hijacked-americas-metric-system

We might have had townships 10km on a side, and sections 2km x 2km.  A metric gallon like Canada has (4L jug).

All in all, US should metricate so that all will be measured in metric in 2050.

[US 89]

What would be different if metric system had been invented in the UK instead of France?

An interesting question is, what would have happened if the ship carrying the measurement devices from France had actually made it to the US in 1793?

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/12/28/574044232/how-pirates-of-the-caribbean-hijacked-americas-metric-system

We might have had townships 10km on a side, and sections 2km x 2km.  A metric gallon like Canada has (4L jug).

All in all, US should metricate so that all will be measured in metric in 2050.

All in all, Finland should de-metricate so that all will be measured in US customary units in 2050.

[Poiponen13]

What would be different if metric system had been invented in the UK instead of France?

An interesting question is, what would have happened if the ship carrying the measurement devices from France had actually made it to the US in 1793?

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/12/28/574044232/how-pirates-of-the-caribbean-hijacked-americas-metric-system

We might have had townships 10km on a side, and sections 2km x 2km.  A metric gallon like Canada has (4L jug).

All in all, US should metricate so that all will be measured in metric in 2050.

All in all, Finland should de-metricate so that all will be measured in US customary units in 2050.

US definitely needs metric to line with rest of world.

[kalvado]

What would be different if metric system had been invented in the UK instead of France?

An interesting question is, what would have happened if the ship carrying the measurement devices from France had actually made it to the US in 1793?

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/12/28/574044232/how-pirates-of-the-caribbean-hijacked-americas-metric-system

We might have had townships 10km on a side, and sections 2km x 2km.  A metric gallon like Canada has (4L jug).

All in all, US should metricate so that all will be measured in metric in 2050.

All in all, Finland should de-metricate so that all will be measured in US customary units in 2050.

US definitely needs metric to line with rest of world.

How about de-metricating the world, starting with Helsinki?

[kphoger]

US definitely needs metric to line with rest of world.

Why do you care if the US "lines with rest of world"?  Maybe it doesn't matter.  Maybe it works the way it is.

All in all, Finland should de-metricate so that all will be measured in US customary units in 2050.

I agree.  Finland should do this.

[GaryV]

All in all, Finland should de-metricate so that all will be measured in US customary units in 2050.

I agree.  Finland should do this.

I think this is needed.

[Rothman]

All in all, Finland should de-metricate so that all will be measured in US customary units in 2050.

I agree.  Finland should do this.

I think this is needed.

Thirded.  Definitely needed.

[Brandon]

What would be different if metric system had been invented in the UK instead of France?

An interesting question is, what would have happened if the ship carrying the measurement devices from France had actually made it to the US in 1793?

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/12/28/574044232/how-pirates-of-the-caribbean-hijacked-americas-metric-system

We might have had townships 10km on a side, and sections 2km x 2km.  A metric gallon like Canada has (4L jug).

All in all, US should metricate so that all will be measured in metric in 2050.

All in all, Finland should de-metricate so that all will be measured in US customary units in 2050.

US definitely needs metric to line with rest of world.

How about de-metricating the world, starting with Helsinki?

Sounds like a winner to me.

[Poiponen13]

Anything but Fahrenheit. Celsius gives you wings, and to US too.

[Max Rockatansky]

How does Celsius is now akin to a can of Red Bull?

[Big John]

How does Celsius is now akin to a can of Red Bull?

[Poiponen13]

How does Celsius is now akin to a can of Red Bull?

Is this a real can?

[Big John]

^^ Yes, a newer product.

[Max Rockatansky]

My wife drinks them.  Nobody at the marketing department at Celsius is claiming the tagline from Red Bull though.

[Poiponen13]

My wife drinks them.  Nobody at the marketing department at Celsius is claiming the tagline from Red Bull though.

We should also have "Anti-Fahrenheit" drink, which would have key item in Fahrenheit opposition.

[Max Rockatansky]

My wife drinks them.  Nobody at the marketing department at Celsius is claiming the tagline from Red Bull though.

We should also have "Anti-Fahrenheit" drink, which would have key item in Fahrenheit opposition.

"Anti-Fahrenheit, it clips your wings?"

[Poiponen13]

My wife drinks them.  Nobody at the marketing department at Celsius is claiming the tagline from Red Bull though.

We should also have "Anti-Fahrenheit" drink, which would have key item in Fahrenheit opposition.

"Fahrenheit, it clips your wings?"

FTFY