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Our education system, starting in first grade, has to start teaching metric only. Within a couple of decades we would have to change all our speed limit signs and put the metric distance first instead of second. People would get used to it.
The UK changed from Imperial to Metric over a 20-25 year period starting around 1965. I was one of the last years at school to learn the old system and that included the old money.
Just try multiplying £1 7s 8d (one pound seven and eightpence) by 13
Remember, 12 pence in a shilling, 20 shillings in a pound, 240 pence in a pound and 21 shillings in a Guinea. Easy right
The money changed from the old system to decimal in 1971. I was 16 and we didn't regret seeing that disappear from our arithmetic tests Other than a few codgers, I doubt there are many who miss it.
Weights and measures changed over a much longer period of time. However miles and pints (20oz) are still used thereby avoiding the need to change all the street signs However, gas is sold in litrres and sugar in kilos.
I spent several years living in Europe before settling here in the USA. So I got familiar with both the metric and non-metric systems and, to be honest, I have no difficulty switching between the two. Same goes for driving on the left, a system which is far superior to the French introduction of driving on the right. Quite why the US would want to go with the French driving system is beyond me
Technically the Metric System has been standard in the US since the end of the Civil War (1860s). However, it never caught on with the public. In recent history presidents Ford and Reagan tried to switch the US to metric, but they were only partially successful, the public still never embraced the metric system.
Understandably so. Although I think the metric system is superior, I understand Americans, especially adults, when they wonder why they should change if there are no clear advantages in everyday life...
Although it is different of course, I assume such a transition is somewhat similar to the introduction of the Euro currency in Europe. Although that was over 10 years ago, I still don't have the same feeling for the currency that I used to have for the D-Mark. Luckily the conversion rate was 1:2, so one can quickly calculate what something would have cost in D-Mark. But it must have been much more difficult for the French. Sometimes I see a price and it is just a number to me, I can't tell if that is an appropriate price or not. Gradually this is changing as my brain has stored more and more reference prices.
I think nobody can deny that the metric system is much better. 100C water boils, 0 C water freezes. 100 Meters is 1/10 of a Kilometer etc. Americans are just too lazy.
In recent history presidents Ford and Reagan tried to switch the US to metric, but they were only partially successful, the public still never embraced the metric system.
I remember in school when we started having to learn the metric system. It was in the second or third grade or so/ early mid 1970s. I remember thinking I had just learned about inches, feet, ounces, miles, etc. and now we have to learn something completely new. This is dumb. I was proven somewhat right since we didn't use over half of what we learned. The same went for solar power. Solar was good, coal and oil and nuclear was bad. The government gets politics in the education sytem and screws things up.
I still can't believe they actually have classes dedicated to taking government achievement tests.
About 60% of scientists and researchers in the Silicon Valley were born abroad, i.e. they are used to the metric system. For the nation as a whole the rate is still 21%.
FWIW - The 7.65 x 63 mm, 7.65 NATO and the 308 Winchester ate all the same cartridge. They fit the M-14 rifle and M-60 machine gun. The people that use these things do not get confused.
Ehm - 7.62 x 51 mm.
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Other than a few codgers, I doubt there are many who miss it.
