metric versus imperial
Re: metric versus imperial
Which is why I attempted the pun on band member Lol's name.
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Re: metric versus imperial
Ah, I see now. I was a bit slow on the uptake there !blush!
Re: metric versus imperial
The metric system is a bit of faux rationalism that dates back to the French Revolution, it's in no way modern.
Lots of revolutionary garbage was dumped along the way, such as the new calendar and the ten hour day, ten day week etc, but the metric system survived.
The metric system is all very handy for dividing things by ten, but life isn't that simple, despite what Robespierre may have thought. A third of a yard is a foot, whereas a third of a meter is 33.3333 recurring centimeters. Highly convenient.
Same with decimal currency. A third of a pound now is 33.3333p recurring. It used to be 6/8.
I accept that we won't go back to ?sd, but we should stick to our traditional measurements for as long as possible. Only tedious metrication cranks know their height and weight in metric, it simply does not speak to us the same way feet and inches, or pounds and stones do. I heard a police appeal on the TV a few months back for a missing child; they said she was 1.3 meters tall. I suppose that's something between four foot and six foot, but I doubt it helped find her.
Strangely, since schools started teaching metric back in the 70's, it seems standards of numeracy have plunged. Cause and effect? I'm not sure, but it seems to me that using our traditional measurements certainly helped gain a fluency in mental arithmetic.
Oh, and by the way, the Imperial system refers back to the Roman, not the British Empire, so don't let's all go on a post-colonial guilt trip about it. Like ?sd, the Imperial system of measurements is another thing the Romans did for us!
Lots of revolutionary garbage was dumped along the way, such as the new calendar and the ten hour day, ten day week etc, but the metric system survived.
The metric system is all very handy for dividing things by ten, but life isn't that simple, despite what Robespierre may have thought. A third of a yard is a foot, whereas a third of a meter is 33.3333 recurring centimeters. Highly convenient.
Same with decimal currency. A third of a pound now is 33.3333p recurring. It used to be 6/8.
I accept that we won't go back to ?sd, but we should stick to our traditional measurements for as long as possible. Only tedious metrication cranks know their height and weight in metric, it simply does not speak to us the same way feet and inches, or pounds and stones do. I heard a police appeal on the TV a few months back for a missing child; they said she was 1.3 meters tall. I suppose that's something between four foot and six foot, but I doubt it helped find her.
Strangely, since schools started teaching metric back in the 70's, it seems standards of numeracy have plunged. Cause and effect? I'm not sure, but it seems to me that using our traditional measurements certainly helped gain a fluency in mental arithmetic.
Oh, and by the way, the Imperial system refers back to the Roman, not the British Empire, so don't let's all go on a post-colonial guilt trip about it. Like ?sd, the Imperial system of measurements is another thing the Romans did for us!
Re: metric versus imperial
I like the idea of a month called Thermidor.
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The Worlds Biggest Collector Of Ben Dover DVD`s
Koppite Till I Die
Remember - You`ll Never Walk Alone
The Worlds Biggest Collector Of Ben Dover DVD`s
Koppite Till I Die
Remember - You`ll Never Walk Alone
Re: metric versus imperial
Robches wrote:
> we should stick to our traditional measurements for as long as possible. Only tedious metrication cranks know their height and weight in
> metric, it simply does not speak to us the same way feet and
> inches, or pounds and stones do.
I recall this similar argument being proposed in Australia and New Zealand before they went fully metric about 30 years ago!!
> we should stick to our traditional measurements for as long as possible. Only tedious metrication cranks know their height and weight in
> metric, it simply does not speak to us the same way feet and
> inches, or pounds and stones do.
I recall this similar argument being proposed in Australia and New Zealand before they went fully metric about 30 years ago!!
Re: metric versus imperial
"But, which do you prefer - the new brash upstart, soon to become dominant in America"
I very much doubt the USA will be going metric anytime soon. There was a move towards it in the 70's, but it seems to have died a death, and is no doubt buried 180cm under.
I very much doubt the USA will be going metric anytime soon. There was a move towards it in the 70's, but it seems to have died a death, and is no doubt buried 180cm under.
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fudgeflaps
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Re: metric versus imperial
We has a Polish lass in our lab once. At Christmas, we got various twee giveaway gifts from sub-contractors, calendars and the like.
Her calendar had TWO Aprils- we convinced her it was a Scottish tradition, every six years we have two Aprils in the one year.
Despite her obvious confusion, she fell for it.
Her calendar had TWO Aprils- we convinced her it was a Scottish tradition, every six years we have two Aprils in the one year.
Despite her obvious confusion, she fell for it.
Re: metric versus imperial
[_]> No Liberals were harmed during the making of this post.