posted
A question: Is NASA metric? When I watch, say, a shuttle mission on CNN, all measurements are quoted in the old english system. Is this just for the public's benefit? Especially now with the international space station, I would think they would have to change over...
My gripe with the english system (or imperial, as we call it up here) isn't that the American farmers still use it (I couldn't care less what they use), but that we're still forced to use it up here even though Canada is officially metric. The reason is a lot of equipment is imported from the US, and most Canadian companies don't bother insisting on buying stuff specified in metric units (probably because its more expensive). Hence conversions all over the place. No doubt I'm biased because I grew up with metric, but imperial just irks me after I've worked with metric.
A related rant, something that bothers me that no few people care about. Often we get stuff from the US that has metric units on it, but the wrong units, or utter nonsense. An example: Kilograms per square centimeter is NOT A UNIT OF PRESSURE. No doubt the confusion comes from the fact that in the english system there are actually two kinds of pounds: pound force and pound mass. But in metric, kilogram is mass and Newton is force. The metric unit for pressure is the Pascal (which is 1 Newton per square meter). Some people seem to think that to convert Pounds per square inch to metric, just convert pounds to kilograms and square inches to square centimeters. But mass per unit area doesn't make any sense for those of us living in three dimensions. Argh.
------------------ "Sometimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets you." -Commander Riker, USS Enterprise
[This message was edited by Chimaera on May 10, 1999.]
posted
Indeed. Actually, I just discovered I'm even repeating myself from a topic a while back, how embarrassing . Perhaps I can justify my blatant repitition by clarifying my point that Canada is officially metric, so we shouldn't even have to work in English units (and we wouldn't have to if Canadians were determined and insisted on metric units), something that annoys me frequently given my future career in engineering.
------------------ "Sometimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets you." -Commander Riker, USS Enterprise
posted
I totally hear you. Like I said, that illustrates the point I was trying to make with a prime example--with all that America exports, it would make much more sense to switch to metric so that people can LEARN it...myself included, i'm almost completely ignorant in the use of metric. Again, if I try to look at this situation with an outside perspective, the US seems rather selfish, IMO. Perhaps there *are* the elect who know metric for "what counts"...but that is only what counts for them. You can't just use part of a system without using all of it, it's illogical.
------------------ Clones are People Two
"The Force is like duct tape: it has a dark side and a light side, and it holds the universe together"
posted
I'm pretty hopeless with some measurments. To work out a litre I have eto think of a coke bottle. (1 litre sized obviously). What size are your cans over in the US? Here tey are 330ml and 500ml (for beer).
Y'know Baloo, that whole thing about 5 pee..which isn't spelt like that anyway, it's just 5p. Since in Britain we don't say 'pee' except as an American saying, it never pops up. WE say 'piss' harsh but true. Or failing that 'I'm going to the toilet/loo' Yes, TIOLET. Not BATHROOM. Why do Americans say Bathroom for the toilet, even when it lacks a bath?
Besides, the old system spelt 5 pence as 5d. Isn't THAT strange?
------------------ 'You want the moon on a stick, don't you?' -Richard Herring
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Liam: a can of soda is 355mL/12 fl oz...about a cup and a half by our system if i've learned anything from my own "dorm ec" this semester *L* Soda bottles, however, are most times 1L too.
My guess on the bathroom issue is this--once upon a time all of them had a tub AND a toilet. Most in homes still do, as far as i've seen. it's only in public places where you won't find bathtubs/showers...and there they usually call them restrooms ;-) toilet just seems rather crude *L*
------------------ Clones are People Two
"The Force is like duct tape: it has a dark side and a light side, and it holds the universe together"
posted
Keep in mind that indoor plumbing was introduced to the U.S. (and vice versa) during the Victorian era. Americans were even more prudish, in many respects, than the English in those days (still are, sometimes). I suppose "the neccessary room" had too damn many syllables for the ignorant sodbusters, so they settled on "bathroom".
Actually, indoor bathing arrived around that time, too.
Tune in tomorrow, folks! I'm off to find the answer.
--Baloo
------------------ If God Himself walks up to you and tells you to found a new religeon, ask for some I.D. You're probably talking to an imposter. www.geocities.com/Area51/Shire/8641/
posted
Chim. Another reason why some countries are still stuck using bits of both systems is because of American media influence as well as popular cultural influences. Heck we measure our waists and other things (if one is a lady in inches).
But because of these media influences, it is great to have a body with 36-24-36 body measurements instead of ....something equvilant in cm's.
posted
most of my SODA (not pop!) bottles are 2 Liter..and occasionally 3 Liter, but I last saw a 1 Liter about 3 years ago at our family reunion.
Maybe I am just isolated from the rest of the world.
------------------ "Chances thrown / Nothing's free / Looking for what used to be / Still it's hard / Hard to see / Fragile lives, shattered dreams..."
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