Why don't your country use meter system? (credit, high school)

[NY Annie]

I think it's just a matter of what works for us. Really, who's to say the hexadecimal system won't be touted 20 years frrom now.

If it bothers other countries, we won't be insulted if all y'all choose to use our system or switch to something else.

I was planning on majoring in math in college but I can't visualize buying a hectare of something so I decided I was better suited for something else.

[Eastern Roamer]

I have a theory. I think that tool manufacturers want us to continue buying two sets of tools - one "standard" and one metric. If the whole world used the metric system there would be no need for standard tools and they wouldn't make as much money. It's a conspiracy, I say!!

[Ghengis]

I bought a crap load of metric tape measures back in the 70's when we were spose to switch over and when the time comes you'll all be crawling on your hands and knees to your local Metric Tape Measure Store to catch up with the rest of us. Maybe I'll sell you one and then again, maybe I won't.

[hoffdano]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

I think you must be speaking to someone else, not me. I most certainly DO know the reasons for binary use. Multimeters are analog computers. Slide rules are analog computers. The simple elegance of a log log scale is evident on a slide rule, and it shows the concept behind certain math functions in a nice way. However, as you point out, there is a limitation to accuracy in analog, which can be a problem when you are lobbing shells or missiles and need exact ballistics. (The women figuring out the math for the ballistics tables were known as computers, and the name stuck when their work was taken over by ... computers.)

This occurred prior to transistors; before them the Fleming and de Forest valves (vacuum tubes) were used. They have a basic normal diode flow, where a screen or gate cannot do more than limit electrons flowing in one direction. Had digital started with transistors, there is another possibility of a number system. There are THREE states - positive, neutral, and negative. We came that close to having electronics use a sexagesimal system instead of it being base 2,4,8,16, or 64.

"converting binary to decimal is nothing that anyone except a few engineers and programmers are concerned with..."

True. More people are concerned with mud-slinging politics, the latest sports craze, and sex. However, those have little to do with a rational number system.

My point is that the choice of binary is strictly related to the repeated reliability (directly related to accuracy) of digital electronics, whether tube or transistor. It had nothing to do with binary or decimal or any other number base.

[cry_havoc]

Originally Posted by Big George

This is not true. None of it.

It simply is.

[cry_havoc]

Originally Posted by burgler09

Inferior countries have nothing better to do than talk about a metric system, when in reality it would give Americans no benefit to change to it.

If USA switched to the metric system, how would that give Americans any sort of advantage? It wouldn't... so why switch?

To the OP, this is why.

General ignorance and reactionary fear of change. It is common in this country. "This is what I know and I dont want to learn something else."

[OhZone]

Originally Posted by cry_havoc

Other countries had it too, but replaced it with a better one. Miles arent American. The old system was used by the world too, along with the US. They got with times and updated. The US and Liberia are the only countries backwards enough to keep it.

Your attitude is very American, but it is stupid. Why keep an inferior system to a superior one? It is like using Windows 3.1 because you are used to it.

So tell me,
Exactly why is metric "better".

We like it the way it is. It has served us well for hundreds of years.

[cry_havoc]

Originally Posted by OhZone

So tell me,
Exactly why is metric "better".

We like it the way it is. It has served us well for hundreds of years.

Again you demonstrate my point to the dot.

"Why should I change to a better system since I already know one."

However, your question is fair. Why is it better. Many americans know nothing about it, but assume it is not an improvement because it is different from what they know. It is ignorant way to look at things, but it is something that can be erased with knowledge.

The truth will set you free

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by DeutchBoy

Hello all American brothers and sisters,

I am new member from Germany in Europe and I have been to your country few times and I love it very much. I wish one day I will move to America and live there because I love your country and the lifestyle. But I don't like one thing about your country was the miles, yard, feet and fahrenheit system you use. Why don't you use the meter system like rest of the world? It would be much easier and better.

Thank you very much.

It was debated, back around the time that Canada went metric. To be perfectly frank, I think it's because math education in the US is so weak, that people panic at the thought of having to switch systems. Of course, no one would say that publicly.

Fear of the unknown, of something new, also.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by NY Annie

I was planning on majoring in math in college but I can't visualize buying a hectare of something so I decided I was better suited for something else.

LOL!! I rest my case. ^_^