Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Europe should use 120V rather than 240v. It's much safer.
Safer in what way?
The reasoning is, with a higher voltage, you need less current. P=IV. Less current = less load on the wiring = lower probability of the wiring overheating and starting a fire. Besides.. the American domestic power supply system is pretty old fashioned compared to the British system, which in my humble view is a lot safer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by roseba
The. UK and H.K. should steer on the left side. I read a study that it just makes more sense because of how your peripheral vision works.
Can you seriously imagine the cost of reversing an entire country's transport infrastructure? all of the roads, the signage, the signalling systems. It's not actually possible anyway, as you'd have to make the transition globally at the same instant. Even if it was physically feasible, imagine the number of accidents!!
As an engineer/scientist, I use both systems, daily.
As a person bumming about his goofy life, I much prefer the foot-pound [ie: American] system.
Why? Nope, nothing to do w/ patriotism, etc. It just feels more nature, to me. Yeap, last I counted I have ten toes and ten fingers, all kinda in line w/ a "metric" way of thinking. Yet, whereas it is 'easier', given its 10-based methodology, the metric system just seems cold and rigid.
Guess another part of me likes our odd-ball system as it is indeed different. Requires a person to think, to calculate, to recall. Additionally, as math is (and therefore measuring systems by extension are) a language, I would hate to see our system go extinct [as way too many written/spoken languages are ]. Nothing necessarily valid w/ any of these 'reasons' to keep our antiquated and weird measuring system - just IMHO, and cause I like it!
Besides, just think of all these changes:
So many kilograms and what do your get? Another day older, and a deeper in debt.
Just how many kilometers under the sea then did the Nautilus go?
The Indy 500 would be the Indy ???
How many cubic centimeters of pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?
So, if I give you 2.54 centimeters, how many kilometers will you actually take?
Eh, I won't take it all on; it's Friday evening, after all. But I will take on the following two for now.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ShadowCaver
The Indy 500 would be the Indy ???
It could still be the Indy 500. What does it matter? I -- a metric Euro nut -- don't care how a race is measured or what it's called.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ShadowCaver
So, if I give you 2.54 centimeters, how many kilometers will you actually take?
Well, this is a little like me asking, "if I give you an inch, how many miles will you actually take?" But the beauty of the metric system is that when you give me 2.54 cm relative to a km, I know instantly that this is 0.00254 km. Get it? Just move the decimal point!!! It's exactly like the good 'ol U.S. Dollar.
Bottom line, anyone who can divide by 10 can use the metric system. Ok, a pre-schooler cannot because s/he hasn't learned to divide by 10 yet. But even a pre-schooler will learn to appreciate the simplicity of dividing by 10 after graduating to 1st grade!
Last edited by Winston Smith; 10-12-2007 at 07:35 PM..
Reason: stinkin' grammar
Well, this is a little like me asking, "if I give you an inch, how many miles will you actually take?" But the beauty of the metric system is that when you give me 2.54 cm relative to a km, I know instantly that this is 0.00254 km. Get it? Just move the decimal point!!! It's exactly like the good 'ol U.S. Dollar.
As an engineer/scientist, I use both systems, daily.
As a person bumming about his goofy life, I much prefer the foot-pound [ie: American] system.
I could say: "As a priest, I use both calendars, daily.
As a person bumming about his goofy life, I much prefer the Julian (i.e. Old Style) Calendar."
Quote:
Why? Nope, nothing to do w/ patriotism, etc. It just feels more nature, to me. Yeap, last I counted I have ten toes and ten fingers, all kinda in line w/ a "metric" way of thinking. Yet, whereas it is 'easier', given its 10-based methodology, the metric system just seems cold and rigid.
Guess another part of me likes our odd-ball system as it is indeed different. Requires a person to think, to calculate, to recall. Additionally, as math is (and therefore measuring systems by extension are) a language, I would hate to see our system go extinct [as way too many written/spoken languages are ]. Nothing necessarily valid w/ any of these 'reasons' to keep our antiquated and weird measuring system - just IMHO, and cause I like it!
I hope you can keep track of your chequing account with the great duodecimal system. I would also hate that the Julian Calendar would go extinct.
Safer in what way?
The reasoning is, with a higher voltage, you need less current. P=IV. Less current = less load on the wiring = lower probability of the wiring overheating and starting a fire. Besides.. the American domestic power supply system is pretty old fashioned compared to the British system, which in my humble view is a lot safer.
It's just the consumer side that is 120 V, 60 Hz. The supply chain is 240 V. It is stepped down as it gets to the consumer. Notice that all electric units are metric and the Ampere is a SI base unit.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
]. Nothing necessarily valid w/ any of these 'reasons' to keep our antiquated and weird measuring system - just IMHO, and cause I like it! 
But the beauty of the metric system is that when you give me 2.54 cm relative to a km, I know instantly that this is 0.00254 km. Get it? Just move the decimal point!!! It's exactly like the good 'ol U.S. Dollar.
