Americans have rapidly adopted the liter because it is so near to a quart.
Half a kilogram is about 10% more than a pound. Call it a lug.
Four liters is about 5.7% more than a gallon. Call it a foul (FOUr Liters).
Thirty centimeters is just shy of a foot. Call it a tred for three decimeters.
A mile is 1609.344 m. Knock off 144mm, about six inches, and one mph will be precisely 1.49 tred per second. The 'sevet' mile will be 5364 tred and no road signs need be changed.
Every one will stand a little taller, weigh less and their cars will get better mileage.
ya know that's not half bad.
you should send this to someone in congress.
you should send this to someone in congress.
QUOTE (Asetnil+Feb 10 2005, 05:25 AM)
Americans have rapidly adopted the liter because it is so near to a quart.
Half a kilogram is about 10% more than a pound. Call it a lug.
Four liters is about 5.7% more than a gallon. Call it a foul (FOUr Liters).
Thirty centimeters is just shy of a foot. Call it a tred for three decimeters.
A mile is 1609.344 m. Knock off 144mm, about six inches, and one mph will be precisely 1.49 tred per second. The 'sevet' mile will be 5364 tred and no road signs need be changed.
Every one will stand a little taller, weigh less and their cars will get better mileage.
No. Talk to your congressman about something important, not nonsense. Silly rabbit, tare for keds.
Half a kilogram is about 10% more than a pound. Call it a lug.
Four liters is about 5.7% more than a gallon. Call it a foul (FOUr Liters).
Thirty centimeters is just shy of a foot. Call it a tred for three decimeters.
A mile is 1609.344 m. Knock off 144mm, about six inches, and one mph will be precisely 1.49 tred per second. The 'sevet' mile will be 5364 tred and no road signs need be changed.
Every one will stand a little taller, weigh less and their cars will get better mileage.
No. Talk to your congressman about something important, not nonsense. Silly rabbit, tare for keds.
Trix are for kids, I know, but what does 'tare for keds' mean?
Do you think that the US should adopt the metric system, like the US military and the rest of the industrialized world, or is it 'worthless'?
Do you think that the US should adopt the metric system, like the US military and the rest of the industrialized world, or is it 'worthless'?
Let me try again. To protologics: is the adoption of the metric system 'unimportant nonsense', or just my americanized modification?
To Matt: thanks for the encouragement. I have gotten the advice to write to my congressman about the adoption of the metric system without 'cometric' modification. Most metric advocates think any alteration is a bad idea, but I don't see the public warming up to metrics any other way.
In germany there is the 'pfund' or half kilogram. In Japan there is the 'shaku'. The standard module is 30cm and in construction multiples like 60 and 1200cm are used.
I might try writing to congress but untill there is some sort of grass roots support I don't think it will count for much. Any help would be appreciated.
To Matt: thanks for the encouragement. I have gotten the advice to write to my congressman about the adoption of the metric system without 'cometric' modification. Most metric advocates think any alteration is a bad idea, but I don't see the public warming up to metrics any other way.
In germany there is the 'pfund' or half kilogram. In Japan there is the 'shaku'. The standard module is 30cm and in construction multiples like 60 and 1200cm are used.
I might try writing to congress but untill there is some sort of grass roots support I don't think it will count for much. Any help would be appreciated.
in reality it doesn't matter. If they'd just do it, America would adapt fairly quickly.
it's not like the average american even knows how long an inch or a foot is, let alone a pound or a mile.
it's just a number on a scale or a ruler or a road sign. the only problem is someone will have to pay to replace all the road signs, probably twice.
but then again, aren't we looking to make more jobs?
I for one wouldn't mind retiring one set of socket wrenches. the way it is now, half the time I need both sets on the same project since half the car is metric and half is english. Probably would have helped the Mars Polar Lander as well.
but with the budget the way it is now, what do you bump to get money to fund such a project nation wide?
though Like I said, I like the idea.
it's not like the average american even knows how long an inch or a foot is, let alone a pound or a mile.
it's just a number on a scale or a ruler or a road sign. the only problem is someone will have to pay to replace all the road signs, probably twice.
but then again, aren't we looking to make more jobs?
I for one wouldn't mind retiring one set of socket wrenches. the way it is now, half the time I need both sets on the same project since half the car is metric and half is english. Probably would have helped the Mars Polar Lander as well.
but with the budget the way it is now, what do you bump to get money to fund such a project nation wide?
though Like I said, I like the idea.
I beg to disagree. American's know their pound, gallon and foot too damn well. Would you have difficulty judgeing two gallons of gas? Witnesses often get the height and weight of a suspect within a few inches and maybe ten pounds. Do you have difficulty estimating the distance you travel when driving?
The pint's a pound the world around, is over 4% off. Two lugs is a liter will be precise when measuring water, wine, milk or juice.
Keeping the transition measures within ten percent will go a long way toward keeping metric measures within the comfort zone of the average american.
Most modern american cars have metric components. Engine displacement is usually in liters or cc. Cometrics is something of a trick so the average person can say 'I know this already'.
What wrong with taking two small steps instead of one giant leap? I feel ten tred tall becomes three meters tall. Five lugs of flour is 2.5 kilograms. Conversion to the metric system will be accomplished when people realize that we are already there.
The pint's a pound the world around, is over 4% off. Two lugs is a liter will be precise when measuring water, wine, milk or juice.
Keeping the transition measures within ten percent will go a long way toward keeping metric measures within the comfort zone of the average american.
Most modern american cars have metric components. Engine displacement is usually in liters or cc. Cometrics is something of a trick so the average person can say 'I know this already'.
What wrong with taking two small steps instead of one giant leap? I feel ten tred tall becomes three meters tall. Five lugs of flour is 2.5 kilograms. Conversion to the metric system will be accomplished when people realize that we are already there.
Sorry to repeat this but somehow my moniker Asetnil didn't show up.
I beg to disagree. American's know their pound, gallon and foot too damn well. Would you have difficulty judgeing two gallons of gas? Witnesses often get the height and weight of a suspect within a few inches and maybe ten pounds. Do you have difficulty estimating the distance you travel when driving?
The pint's a pound the world around, is over 4% off. Two lugs is a liter will be precise when measuring water, wine, milk or juice.
Keeping the transition measures within ten percent will go a long way toward keeping metric measures within the comfort zone of the average american.
Most modern american cars have metric components. Engine displacement is usually in liters or cc. Cometrics is something of a trick so the average person can say 'I know this already'.
What wrong with taking two small steps instead of one giant leap? I feel ten tred tall becomes three meters tall. Five lugs of flour is 2.5 kilograms. Conversion to the metric system will be accomplished when people realize that we are already there.
I think you should test this.
go out into a crowd with a ruler, ask people to show you how big 6 inches is, and take a known weight and ask them to tell you how many pounds it is, and then see how close they are.
people are able to judge height and weight of another person because they know how tall they are and then simply add or subtract a few inches, not becuase they intrinsicly know how big 6 ft is.
people measure distance in time, not in miles or kilometers, they know about how fast they drive and how far that is. if you put someone in a car and asked them to tell you when you've driven a mile, without any road signs or timing device. I doubt they would be able to do it.
and if you asked them how far away some landmark was, I doubt they would be that close, and I'm also willing to bet only 1 in 10 can tel you how many feet are in a mile.
we can only tell liquid measures by the size of the container. I very much doubt someone could tell you how many gallons are in a bath tub or a pool, and even if they did, they would imagine the gallon milk container and visualize how many coud fit.
test yourself as well. look around your room at books and other things that you don't already know the length of, and guess what they are in inches, and then measure them and see how close you are. you may be suprised. but also try to see what method you are using to measure things in your mind.
go out into a crowd with a ruler, ask people to show you how big 6 inches is, and take a known weight and ask them to tell you how many pounds it is, and then see how close they are.
people are able to judge height and weight of another person because they know how tall they are and then simply add or subtract a few inches, not becuase they intrinsicly know how big 6 ft is.
people measure distance in time, not in miles or kilometers, they know about how fast they drive and how far that is. if you put someone in a car and asked them to tell you when you've driven a mile, without any road signs or timing device. I doubt they would be able to do it.
and if you asked them how far away some landmark was, I doubt they would be that close, and I'm also willing to bet only 1 in 10 can tel you how many feet are in a mile.
we can only tell liquid measures by the size of the container. I very much doubt someone could tell you how many gallons are in a bath tub or a pool, and even if they did, they would imagine the gallon milk container and visualize how many coud fit.
test yourself as well. look around your room at books and other things that you don't already know the length of, and guess what they are in inches, and then measure them and see how close you are. you may be suprised. but also try to see what method you are using to measure things in your mind.
I can guesstimate six inches consistantly to within half an inch. Longer measures will be proportionatly off. If asked to guess centimeters I would convert to inches knowing that an inch is about 2.5 cm (2.54).
But that's really not the point. When asked 'how much is a pound', the average shopper will think of cost. They would know that ten pounds of potatoes is $3, or five pounds of chicken is $8. I think they could handle that a lug is 10% more in weight and cost.
That people use rules of thumb dosn't change the difficulty in changeing to a new system. Using time to measure distance, about a mile a minute on the freeway, dosn't mean they don't have a good grasp of the concept. Most people know the distance to the store, a friends house, downtown or nearby cities. I think most people know there are about 5000 feet in a mile. More would know if they walked since a pace is about five feet and the Roman mile was a thousand paces, milus pasos.
Taking a visual measure of a tub or pool is a proper way to grasp volume. A pool 20td by 40td by 10td deep will contain 8000 cubic tred of water. Multiply by 27 to get liters, divide that by four to get 'fouls'. Of course the measure in cubic feet, quarts and gallons won't be far off.
This is the essential advantage of cometrics, rough estimates will always be in the same ballpark.
But that's really not the point. When asked 'how much is a pound', the average shopper will think of cost. They would know that ten pounds of potatoes is $3, or five pounds of chicken is $8. I think they could handle that a lug is 10% more in weight and cost.
That people use rules of thumb dosn't change the difficulty in changeing to a new system. Using time to measure distance, about a mile a minute on the freeway, dosn't mean they don't have a good grasp of the concept. Most people know the distance to the store, a friends house, downtown or nearby cities. I think most people know there are about 5000 feet in a mile. More would know if they walked since a pace is about five feet and the Roman mile was a thousand paces, milus pasos.
Taking a visual measure of a tub or pool is a proper way to grasp volume. A pool 20td by 40td by 10td deep will contain 8000 cubic tred of water. Multiply by 27 to get liters, divide that by four to get 'fouls'. Of course the measure in cubic feet, quarts and gallons won't be far off.
This is the essential advantage of cometrics, rough estimates will always be in the same ballpark.
wasnt it someone from that continent who wanted to change the value of pi to 3?
AR
AR
You can't change pi, but wheels the world over are measured in inches.
Thanks for the link, ARtone was out to blame the whole north american continent.
On average, everyone rates their own skills as above average. How good are you at making the estimates you suggested americans be tested for?
How competent are you with the metric system? Do you find yourself converting to english units to understand kilograms or kilometers?
It was this tendency on my own part that made me wish for a system of metric compatable units. It's also handy to use single syllable words like tred, lug or foul. One thing we do sense accuratly is temperature, are you ready for centigrade on the weather report?
On average, everyone rates their own skills as above average. How good are you at making the estimates you suggested americans be tested for?
How competent are you with the metric system? Do you find yourself converting to english units to understand kilograms or kilometers?
It was this tendency on my own part that made me wish for a system of metric compatable units. It's also handy to use single syllable words like tred, lug or foul. One thing we do sense accuratly is temperature, are you ready for centigrade on the weather report?
I'm not trying to sound stuck-up or anything here, but why don't you Americans just adopt the metric system completely? I understand it would be hard, but the rest of the world already has. And you have to admit, a base 10 system is better than one where there is very little pattern to advancing to a larger unit. Although I think a system like the original poster proposed would just confuse people... Hey I just thought of something. You use the metric system when talking about computer file sizes. kilo, mega, gega, tera, ect... Is it really that hard to adopt?! Atleast for the techies who know their bytes, I mean....
Your suggestion isn't stuck up, it is emminently practical. The question is whether it is practiceable. Americans like the rest of the world use kilowatts and cubic centimeters, but the common measures of foot, pound and gallon seem to be set in continental concrete.
I think that once easily convertable measures come into common use, the advantages of a base ten system will be obvious and much easier to adapt to.
The kilogram has proven difficult for Americans to swollow whole. Maybe two bites, each 10% more than a pound, would be something we could chew. A four liter gallon is, well, four liters.
The standard module in Europe is 300 mm, multiplying 'tred' by 0.3 to get meters is a lot easier than remembering the conversion factor of 0.3048.
Nothing else has worked. Maybe making it easy will.
I think that once easily convertable measures come into common use, the advantages of a base ten system will be obvious and much easier to adapt to.
The kilogram has proven difficult for Americans to swollow whole. Maybe two bites, each 10% more than a pound, would be something we could chew. A four liter gallon is, well, four liters.
The standard module in Europe is 300 mm, multiplying 'tred' by 0.3 to get meters is a lot easier than remembering the conversion factor of 0.3048.
Nothing else has worked. Maybe making it easy will.
well I'm all for converting to metrics. but I certainly do not represent the average american. I can actually deal fairly well with Centigrade. I know that 40 is hot, 30 is nice, 10 is kind of chilly and 0 is cold. so I could adapt to that.
as for being able to eye ball things. I'm not bad, but I cheat. I compare things to the size of my foot. which is a foot. or my hand which is about eight inches from finger to wrist.
as for miles? who knows, a mile in my opinion is really to big to consider. so switching to Km wouldn't be a big deal for me. once I started driving and switched to the KM dial on my car.
though that dial is pretty hard to read so that would cause problems until I bought the next car.
Liters is no problem and the gas stations would love it. they could charge 60 cents a liter and most people wouldn't know they were being ripped off.
Kgs wouldn't a big problem once I bought a new scale.
but here's the problem. Americans are A. arrogent, and B. stupid. Now I'm not talking about the ones that show up to forums like this one. there are many many smart americans. but the vast majortiy of them. the bottom 70% or so are pretty much complete and utter morons. I don't know if the rest of the world is like this or not, but it is here. Half the country would be raising all kinds of hell if we were to switch, Imagine, using the same measurements as the French? only after you pull the gun from my cold dead hands. and I think Jesus used english measurements. in fact I think the foot is the lenght of Jesus' foot. so it's sacreligious as well.
Plus, where do you prioritize such a thing? I mean I don't think education will be a big deal, they've been teaching metrics in for at least 30 years now. but you still have to change all teh signs. you have to re tool the gas pumps. build new containers for food and beverages (except for pop becuase that's already in 2Litres)
then all the manufacturers who are still using metrics will have to retool all their machines to make them in the new sizes.
it will cost a lot of money, and where's the pay off? How do you sell this to the country? If you are a senator, how do you answer the question what's in it for me? because that is a very american attitude, and it's the question you'll have to answer before it will ever happen.
as for being able to eye ball things. I'm not bad, but I cheat. I compare things to the size of my foot. which is a foot. or my hand which is about eight inches from finger to wrist.
as for miles? who knows, a mile in my opinion is really to big to consider. so switching to Km wouldn't be a big deal for me. once I started driving and switched to the KM dial on my car.
though that dial is pretty hard to read so that would cause problems until I bought the next car.
Liters is no problem and the gas stations would love it. they could charge 60 cents a liter and most people wouldn't know they were being ripped off.
Kgs wouldn't a big problem once I bought a new scale.
but here's the problem. Americans are A. arrogent, and B. stupid. Now I'm not talking about the ones that show up to forums like this one. there are many many smart americans. but the vast majortiy of them. the bottom 70% or so are pretty much complete and utter morons. I don't know if the rest of the world is like this or not, but it is here. Half the country would be raising all kinds of hell if we were to switch, Imagine, using the same measurements as the French? only after you pull the gun from my cold dead hands. and I think Jesus used english measurements. in fact I think the foot is the lenght of Jesus' foot. so it's sacreligious as well.
Plus, where do you prioritize such a thing? I mean I don't think education will be a big deal, they've been teaching metrics in for at least 30 years now. but you still have to change all teh signs. you have to re tool the gas pumps. build new containers for food and beverages (except for pop becuase that's already in 2Litres)
then all the manufacturers who are still using metrics will have to retool all their machines to make them in the new sizes.
it will cost a lot of money, and where's the pay off? How do you sell this to the country? If you are a senator, how do you answer the question what's in it for me? because that is a very american attitude, and it's the question you'll have to answer before it will ever happen.
Ask not what is in it for me, ask what is in it for my country. Have you seen the trade deficit lately. The metric system is universal for science and science education for good reason. I am grateful that I did not have the hassles of slugs, feet and ounces in physics and chemistry. Americans like to think of themselves as smart, maybe that's part of what metric advocates should appeal to.
Gasoline was sold in liters during the seventies at some stations. The fact that it is not now sold that way tells you how well it went over. The mental conversion was too difficult. On the other hand adding an extra five percent to your mileage with a four liter gallon ought to go over well.
Best of all cometrics will make us different from the french, and give us the tagline 'I can be metric when I want to be'.
With the tred, lug and foul you are only a conversion factor 0.3, 2 and 1/4 times away from the measures used by the rest of the world.
Gasoline was sold in liters during the seventies at some stations. The fact that it is not now sold that way tells you how well it went over. The mental conversion was too difficult. On the other hand adding an extra five percent to your mileage with a four liter gallon ought to go over well.
Best of all cometrics will make us different from the french, and give us the tagline 'I can be metric when I want to be'.
With the tred, lug and foul you are only a conversion factor 0.3, 2 and 1/4 times away from the measures used by the rest of the world.
I dont want to learn the particular terminology you have told us about here. Where does it come from? I am familliar with the metric system. Everyone should be.
American are very resistant to some changes, but not to others. They have no problem buying pepsi or coke in the liter size bottle but they dont think in the metric system. Maybe that will change.
American are very resistant to some changes, but not to others. They have no problem buying pepsi or coke in the liter size bottle but they dont think in the metric system. Maybe that will change.
I'd be all for switching, but you'd have to convince the average American to do it if it's going to work.
I don't think we really need to switch. The average person doesn't care whether their measurement system is "clean" or not, as long as it measures. And anyways, the people who really care already use metric units. All the way through college, all my physics and chemistry classes and all that, we only used "British" units to illustrate the difference between them and metric units. We all had a good laugh at the fact that the British unit for mass is called a "slug", then promptly went back to our kilograms and forgot how much a slug is. The default was metric.
Mechanical engineers might still work in "British" units, I'm not sure. I know a lot of people still talk in terms of BTU's, and engine power is measured in horse-power and torque in foot-lbs. Oh, and it was hard to find a metric tool set for my bike. But anyway, like I said, a lot of the people that it really affects already use metric, and the rest just don't care.
Mechanical engineers might still work in "British" units, I'm not sure. I know a lot of people still talk in terms of BTU's, and engine power is measured in horse-power and torque in foot-lbs. Oh, and it was hard to find a metric tool set for my bike. But anyway, like I said, a lot of the people that it really affects already use metric, and the rest just don't care.
In europe multiples of 300 mm, the standard module, are used in construction. The measure is identical to three decimeters. I thought the contraction 'tred' would make it as easy to say as foot, which is only 1.6% longer. Thir-ty cent-i-me-ters is six syllables.
As I mentioned, americans have no problem with liters since they are only 5.7 percent more than the quart. Calculating mileage with liters is difficult, but a four liter measure would be easy to adapt to.
People are used to buying groceries by the pound and could get used to the half kilogram. Lug implys weight, lug pint or lup, for half a liter, would be the corresponding liquid measure.
You said it yourself, americans don't think in metric terms. Nothing has worked so far which is why I think these measures, which are close to the foot, pound, pint and gallon, might help America adopt the metric system.
Do you have a better idea?
As I mentioned, americans have no problem with liters since they are only 5.7 percent more than the quart. Calculating mileage with liters is difficult, but a four liter measure would be easy to adapt to.
People are used to buying groceries by the pound and could get used to the half kilogram. Lug implys weight, lug pint or lup, for half a liter, would be the corresponding liquid measure.
You said it yourself, americans don't think in metric terms. Nothing has worked so far which is why I think these measures, which are close to the foot, pound, pint and gallon, might help America adopt the metric system.
Do you have a better idea?
By the time I finished my post to protologics two new posts showed up.
To the1physicist, cometrics is all about convinceing the average american that the change will not be that difficult to comprehend.
To waterbreath, I came to appreciate metrics in physics and chemistry, but I had to do rule of thumb conversions into english measure to understand the results. These cometric measures will give people a good grasp of SI units.
To the1physicist, cometrics is all about convinceing the average american that the change will not be that difficult to comprehend.
To waterbreath, I came to appreciate metrics in physics and chemistry, but I had to do rule of thumb conversions into english measure to understand the results. These cometric measures will give people a good grasp of SI units.
Who-more> 
Americans are primitive by world standards and dangerous when overly exposed to the metric system.
There have been some reports of wild chimp-like behaviors, to where American humans have actually attacked one another.This is as they could not readily discern the understanding of weights and measurements, with regards to the usage of the metric system.
Rather than enforce an all out, law enforcement Prozac darting campaign, on most the population, which may frighten most the American population, a hooded, however' very limited expose to the metric system, might be the best move at this time?
Americans are primitive by world standards and dangerous when overly exposed to the metric system.
There have been some reports of wild chimp-like behaviors, to where American humans have actually attacked one another.This is as they could not readily discern the understanding of weights and measurements, with regards to the usage of the metric system.
Rather than enforce an all out, law enforcement Prozac darting campaign, on most the population, which may frighten most the American population, a hooded, however' very limited expose to the metric system, might be the best move at this time?
It does seem that Americans respond to the metric system with outright anger, I don't think anti anxiety medication would change this. I can understand because I have trouble with kilometers and whole kilograms.
Somehow people do seem to have fully accepted liters and multiples thereof, probably because it is so close to a quart.
This is why I think a half kilogram with a catchy name might catch on. Buying hamburger by the 'lug' would be easy to understand. The military uses meters by training, civilians could easily adapt to a three decimeter 'tred'. Who could argue with getting more miles per unit of gasoline and a four liter 'foul' should please metric purists who consider it just that.
Feeling ten tred tall may be a couple of inches short of feeling ten feet tall, but they will understand three meters tall precisely.
Thanks for your post, philip347.
Somehow people do seem to have fully accepted liters and multiples thereof, probably because it is so close to a quart.
This is why I think a half kilogram with a catchy name might catch on. Buying hamburger by the 'lug' would be easy to understand. The military uses meters by training, civilians could easily adapt to a three decimeter 'tred'. Who could argue with getting more miles per unit of gasoline and a four liter 'foul' should please metric purists who consider it just that.
Feeling ten tred tall may be a couple of inches short of feeling ten feet tall, but they will understand three meters tall precisely.
Thanks for your post, philip347.
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