Comments on: 6 Crazy Things I just learned about the Metric system

By: J. Kolodziejski

J. Kolodziejski — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 22:32:00 +0000

I am surprised at the amount of British quotes on here supporting or are sympathetic of the imperial system. iam British and have never used the imperial system not once in my life!

(born 1989) and even my older friends/family are fully versed in it.

The single mile and inch is all it boils down to really. The US mile is defined BY the kilometer… not sure exactly how much.

By: Chad Cloman

Chad Cloman — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 02:44:35 +0000

A 2×4 is not exactly the best example, because they’re actually 1.5″ by 3.5″ (approximately).

By: Canadian Princess

Canadian Princess — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 23:11:43 +0000

The only reason that we Canadians use a mishmash of imperial and metric is because we are too nice to tell our largest trading partner to get with the program. :-)

By: anomalous4

anomalous4 — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:12:05 +0000

Wotthe[FITB]. If the Brits could switch over to decimal currency and the rest of Europe could switch to Euros without crashing their economies, all us ornery Amurricans can go over to metric. If nothing else, we’ll be able to drive 100* legally. :-)

*(100 kph = 62 mph)

By: Will

Will — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:39:33 +0000

RECON, I am all for metric (as seen in my above post) but if I see a ‘u’ in color and favorite, an ’s’ in organization or any other ‘zation’, or re instead of er, I will find a use in the obsolete rulers by stuffing them down throats. Are we clear?
that extra ‘u’ adds up, and the ink industry would profit wildly, although slowly depleting our ink supply (just look at gas companies for reference). the metric system is practical. waste is not. This is not a cultural diffusion issue (although the pro-imperial people have no excuse other than comparing us and the French, as far as Zach is concerned). This is an issue of progress.

Granted, I don’t think we could ever fully integrate the metric system. We would still have footlongs, fruit by the foot, the longest yard, swimming pools and movie/television screens be in imperial. They already are. That is the only logical, indisputable reason to stay with imperial.
Now if you excuse me, I’m going back to sleep.

By: RECON

RECON — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 13:13:28 +0000

A 2×4 is not even 2 inches by 4 inches people so how confusing is that?!
Go METRIC!!!! Remember it is a “METRE” not a “METER”!

By: ALex Bailey

ALex Bailey — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:23:46 +0000

Certainly take a look at Britain… probably the only country to be “officially” metric where it’s actually illegal to use metric in some circumstances!

Most Brits couldn’t care less which system they measured in but “as long as it’s not forced on us by the EU” is the mantra here. We started converting in the late 1960’s but didn’t join the EEC (what the EU was known as then) until the mid 1970’s but people don’t realise that because they believe what the tabloids tell them! If the government of the day had finished the job as they did with decimalisation nobody would be complaining now!

By: Paul Trusten, R.Ph., Public Relations Director, USMA

Paul Trusten, R.Ph., Public Relations Director, USMA — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 04:14:15 +0000

Dear Mental Floss,

Not only, (as you mentioned)is the metric system protected from invalidation in the U.S. (Metric Act of 1866), it has also been designated by Congress as the “preferred system of meeasurement for trade and commerce” in our country (1988 amendment to the Metric Conversion Act of 1975).

Thank you for your kind words about our newsletter, “Metric Today,” which has been published by USMA for more than 40 years. USMA was founded in 1916, and we are proud to have counted none other than the renowned educator, Maria Montessori, among the attendees at our first meeting that year in New York City.

So many standards are enacted in American society, except for the long-overdue measurement standard. The Congress, which, under Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, has the power to set the standard, has never done so officially. USMA continues to work for the day when the International System of measurement becomes America’s measurement standard, thus eliminating a hidden barrier to international trade and global commercial and scientific solidarity between the U.S. and other countries.

By: dangermouse

dangermouse — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:19:52 +0000

or was that 1/32? whatever. It sucks.

By: dangermouse

dangermouse — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 01:18:12 +0000

Excellent post – as a New Zealander who lived in the US for a year, I recall the exact moment my frustration with the imperial system turned into utter disdain – Attempting to recreate one of Martha Stewart’s crafts. All was going well until I had to measure 1/36th of an inch. What the…?!

Needless to say, the Christmas tree decoration never did work out.