Why do we use the english system?

[ninja9578]

When I was teaching at Sienna college over the summer, some of my students asked me how far 30cm was we were doing some robotics stuff. I thought schools were supposed to teach both english and metric systems? If they have any interest in doing anything related to international business or science, they have to learn to think in metric. Metric is so much fucking easier, why do most americans think in the english system? 12" = 1 foot, 16oz = 1 cup, 5280 feet = 1 mile why? Everything else is base 10.

[Xei]

English system?? In England we call it the imperial system. And the only people who think it is better than the metric system are old and stupid.

[slash112]

ive never heard it being called the english system, noone uses that system anyway. exept for as xei said old people. over here in britain we also use the metric system.

[ninja9578]

I know that, everyone uses the metric system. Reworded: Why do us americans use the english system? I agree that only stupid people think it's better than the metric system.

[Mitzie]

Yeah I thought it was called the imperial system too. Personally I like a mix, only because I'm conditioned to know what a foot is, and how far a mile is. I think sometimes, the metric system confuses me because I can never remember the order of the milli, kilo, centi bla bla bla... I will always prefer Fahrenheit to Celsius though. I feel it's a more acturate measurement. That's just me. When it comes to cooking, I think I would be lost without my Cup measurements... I was when I was in the UK taking the cooking courses. It really was pathetic. Why can't we just use both and be happy? Rather than hate one or the other, use both.

[Catbus]

I use the metric system as much as possible (though sometimes it makes me feel pretentious...). I really don't understand why we don't, and since we've put it off so long it would be pretty hard having to convert fucking everything over. I didn't really learn much metric through school, which is kind of sad because it reflects on our complacency as a nation.

[ninja9578]

I can't use both, way too conditioned to use the metric system. Scientists actually use Kelvin for temp, not Celsius. I think celsius is easier, water freezes at 0, the human body is 37 degrees, and water boils at 100.

[Mitzie]

Well you know, I remember being in the UK and weighing myself using STONE, not kilograms or whatever it is. I would actually get on the scale and be like "ok, what the fuck is 8.2 stone in pounds?!" So the imperial system is still used over in the UK as well. At least Wikipedia says Stone is part of the Imperial system. It still confuses me.

[slash112]

well actually come to think of it, i dont just use metric. because i measure milk in pints, and speed on a road in a car in miles per hour. and other stuff aswell, but thats the main ones. so i guess im not all metric

[tkdyo]

Im pretty sure we dont use metric right now because no one wants to pay for the overhaul in changing everything to do it. However I have noticed some products have both measurements on them, so its coming slowly I think.

[ninja9578]

Sodas are only in metric for larger bottles.

[Mes Tarrant]

I definitely prefer Fahrenheit over Celsius and pounds over kilos/stones/whatever. I agree with Mitzie, seems more accurate. Anyhoo, I wouldn't worry too much about this stuff.

[Xei]

...to be honest the accuracy will depend on how many sig figs you give. 32 for freezing and 212 for boiling... seriously who had that bright spark? If we had it my way it'd be pi degrees for standard fridge temperature and -2 degrees for the boiling point of lead. Then you would have exponentiate the value in base 17 and quote the digits backwards. Society would die. <: )

[ninja9578]

Farenhiet used ocean water. Ocean water freezes at 0 fareneheit and boils at 100.

[Xei]

Which ocean?

[ninja9578]

I don't know, where did he live? I would say the north sea judging by his name.

[Licity]

Farenhiet used ocean water. Ocean water freezes at 0 fareneheit and boils at 100. Are you certain? Distilled water boils at 212 Fahrenheit. Ocean water has plenty of salt and assorted other chemicals dissolved into it, which would elevate the boiling point well past 212, let alone 100. (Same would apply to freezing point, having substances in solution would depress the freezing point of water to below 32.)

[Merlock]

What's more accurate about water freezing at 32 degrees? I mean...0 degrees, the freezing point. Hence, below 0 temperature is then displayed via negative numbers, below the freezing point. And then you have the boiling point at 100: a nice round number to signify it. I mean, we aren't talking about precise scientific studies here, so things like ocean water elevating the boiling point aren't taken into account. As far as general everyday life issues are concerned, the metric system makes perfect sense; I could never get used to the imperial system.

[illidan]

I've been using the metric system ever since I was a kid. It's the system I've been taught in school. I know almost nothing about the imperial system. If someone would ask me how long is a 'foot' or an 'inch', I would be at a total loss. Several people mentioned that they feel the imperial system is more accurate. How is that so? I totally don't get it. Why would it be more accurate?

[Mitzie]

I guess what I mean by accurate is really that it's more... Hmm... Specific? Like when I think of the perfect temperature for Spring, I think of 75 degrees, rather than 23.8888888... That also works the other way around. Personally I like both. When I was in Chemistry, I found it easier to work with Celsius than Fahrenheit, when I think of just the weather or baking a cake, I prefer Fahrenheit. The only thing about it that I hate is that sometimes I find it too fucking hard to spell out "Fahrenheit". I would much rather spell out Celsius.

[Adam]

Meh, I use a mixture. I weigh myself in stones/pounds: 10st 6lbs I think My height in feet/inches: 5"10' Speed in MPH Temperature in celsius Yeah I use both.....

[JET73L]

We're used to it. Before there can be widespread teaching of the metric system, the generation that teachers are needs to have gotten used to metric. Anyway, tdkyo is correct, it's not yet worth it to change everything to Metric at once, and we are slowly changing more and more things from imperial to metric. I think celsius is easier, water freezes at 0, the human body is 37 degrees, and water boils at 100. Really? I think fahrenheit is far more useful for temperatures that the average person will encounter on a daily basis, how a really cold day is zero, human body temperature (at least, by Fahrenheit's original, inaccurate calculations) and a hot day are usually at about 100 degrees (sometimes a lot more, but not for most places). Boiling is boiling, and any other temperatures that you would need for cooking can be remembered by the foods you cook. Only scientists or people who work with high temperatures would need to use Centigrade (and like someone above said, they usually use Kelvin anyway).

[Robot_Butler]

I like English better than Metric. The dimensions are much more scaled to the human being. Especially on the small scale of feet and inches. They are better suited to designing buildings, which is what I use it for. Plus, a system based on 12 is more convenient and divisible than a system based on 10. I wish we had 12 fingers When it comes to the larger scale of miles/acres, it just gets silly.

[Alric]

Well really we use a hybrid system now. Its a mix. Though you have to wonder about the rods and furlongs and stuff. Why do we have a different measurement for surveying and who ever heard of a furlong unless you go horse racing? What about gills and bushels? Then again I do believe the troy ounce is used internationally to measure metal, but its not part of the metric system.

[Kromoh]

Lol, all you people saying it's more accurate - lol get over it. None is more accurate than the other. You're just more used to one than the other. The metric system is the international and scientific standard, and works on a perfectly decimal system. Someone up there said it's hard to remember the prefixes, but it wouldn't be so if you knew any latin-derived language. For example, in portuguese you have dez (10, deci) cem (100, centi) and mil (1000, mili). My height can be 175cm, 1,75m, 1m75cm, 0,00175km or even 1750mm - and not some crappy irregular conversion between units someone came up with before the Common Era. Finally, one could say scientists use Kelvin instead of Celsius, but Kelvin is derived from Celsius - each kelvin is 1ºC - and the only thing that changes is the location of the zero, to adjust to the absolute zero concept. To transform from Celsius to Kelvin, all you have to do is add 273, because the absolute zero is at -273ºC. That and much more. Buy your own copy of the metric system in the closest store today, pre-historic imperial bitches *.*