#Metric system

[tumbler-polls]

For USAmericans: height converter

[beardedmrbean]

[tvneon]

In the 1970s...the USA tried to convert to the metric system...

[phoenixyfriend]

The next time someone outside the US tries to Give Shit about not using metric, I'll just ask when they're transitioning out of a base 24/60 time measurement.

Get back to me when you have a ten-hour day and 100min hour.

Until then "but we've always used this, it would be so annoying to change over when we're all used to these seemingly unreasonable ratios, it feels natural to us," is a justifiable answer for continuing to use the Imperial system.

No you would not get to retroactively grow up with the time. Your people and government would have to manually adjust as fast as possible because... IDK aliens showed up and the rest of the galaxy thinks we're weird for not using base 10. The boomers will complain, the teachers will panic, and you will have to sink so much money into changeover for signage and computers across the world.

EDIT: I am FULLY AWARE of the transition from imperial to metric in places like England (incomplete though it may be).

This is not about people who lived through that transition, because those are not generally the people who are snobbish about it. The worst attitudes, in my experience, come from people who grew up on metric and view others as idiots for preferring something else.

The post is about how the argument that metric is Objectively Better is hypocritical if you aren't also willing to change the time system.

The argument is Stop Being Dicks.

[unstoppable-juggleknob]

People talk about how Americans will measure with anything but the metric system, but have they considered the wacky measuring standards of Alex Horne?

[o-kurwa]

[moonlight1234]

So sad Leo didn't bond with Frank because they are the only ones to use the metric system, Leo would make so many jokes about it using things like gallons over gallons to look the imperial system look bad

[word-for-today]

There's not a lot of things that need measuring to this extent, but in 2022 the International Bureau of Weights & Measures officially adopted four new prefixes: ronna- and quetta- on the large scale, ronto- and quecto- on the small. For context of how intense these measurements are, the entire observable universe is a few yottameters short of a ronnameter, while a single hydrogen atom is about half a nanometer, or five hundred quintillion quectometers.

[salmonella-destroyer-of-worlds]

[mapsontheweb]

Map showing when various countries started switching to the metric system

[therobotmonster]

Decimeters.

That is all.

[smalltestaccount]

If a millipede has a thousand legs then what must a kilopede be. I refuse to pass third grade until science thoroughly explains this

[syruckusnow]

[aedesluminis]

Letter from Claude-Antoine Prieur to Louis XVI on the importance of having a unified metric system in France

[The letter is dated April 1790 and included a copy of Prieur's Mémoire sur la nécessité et les moyens de rendre uniformes, dans le royaume, toutes les mesures d'étendue et de pesanteur]

"Sire,

The reputation that your Majesty has gained through his passion for sciences and the protection with which he has constantly provided them inspired in me the desire to offer him a work I have done on the necessity and the means to bring all measures of France to uniformity.

I beg your Majesty to honour me for a moment of his attention, not much for some special merit concerning my work, but above all for the high importance of its content.

It is a great and beautiful idea, the one of giving to a great people a common and invariable measure, and, even better, to make it universal. Today, the difficulties related to the lack of precision in the procedures have been overcome; what is left is just a few prejudices relegated to the classes of ignorant people, of whom the triumphant voice of reason will dismiss the prestige.

France, England, the United States of America have addressed the matter not only in their own countries, but they are in open agreement to achieve an identical result.

Savants are rather convinced of the effectiveness of this operation for the advancement of science; but how much it will reveal itself useful in easing commercial relations, from the simplest exchanges, which people’s daily needs require, to the greatest speculations!

From this double perspective of science and commerce, the States of your Majesty maintain a distinguished position among civilised nations. After all, wisdom, moderation, in a word, all the virtues of your Majesty, suggest on his part an aspiring desire towards the noble glory of being included among the benefactors of humankind. May I be allowed to say that this is a fortunate occasion to add a new benefit to those that your subject already owe you: the reunion of your Majesty with other countries to procure the same measures would be a big improvement  and a favourable wish for the happiness of the people; nothing is more appropriate to strengthen in them the bonds of fraternity and concord like the sweet influence of Philosophy.

Respect has set limits that I am not entitled to go beyond. Nevertheless I thought to let truth arrive to the ears of a prince, who, because of his greatness of spirit, has always proven himself worthy of listening. To touch the heart of your Majesty, it is undoubtedly sufficient to mention a useful purpose: it will be even more touched to know that the probity, of which the operation in question is significantly the custodian, will put an end to the activities and tricks of the scoundrels.

I have persuaded myself that my disinterested homages would not be unpleasant; I am, with the utmost respect, your Majesty’s most humble and obedient servant."

— from G. Bouchard, Prieur de la Cote-d'Or, Pièces Annexées, p. 458 - 459

[phoenixyfriend]

Ironically

Despite the name, metric has done a whole lot more cultural imperialism than imperial, at this point.

There's a lot of countries out there that oh-so-coincidentally started metrication right after a colonial power or incredibly powerful trading partner did...

(Metric isn't bad, I just think the argument of The Whole World Uses It, So You Should Too has some pretty glaring flaws.)

[finlizziah]

I love how americans, whenever they translate miles or farenheit or whatever into celsius, km and such. They always drirect it for the british people. Not the. Fucking. Entire rest of the world. Yeah just the singular island near some bumfuck continent nobody knows about. Only they need this translation, cause they are the only people to use anything that actually works well. God damn.