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/sci/ - Science & Math

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3477420 No.3477420 [Reply] [Original]

Why does the Imperial system still exist? It is only the US, Myanmar and Liberia who use this antiquated and rather awkward system, even the British modernised themselves (albeit with the customary gnashing of teeth).

Honest question /sci/

>> No.3477428

>even the British modernised themselves (albeit with the customary gnashing of teeth)
It's especially important to note:
>customary

It's very important to us Brits that we have things to complain about. Y'know, it's just too sunny in Eastbourne right now.

>> No.3477427

The same reason the metric system isn't based on quanta units and binary. Pre-existing conditions lend to it's popularity.

>> No.3477442

>>3477427

I see your point but once the advantages, and the odd multi-million dollar cockup, are experienced why not change to the more efficient and may I say logical system.

>> No.3477449

The cost of switching to the metric system is prohibitive.

>> No.3477450

Britfag here, can't stand imperial faggotry

Also can't stand people thinking the watt is a unit of Illumination

Fucking Daily mail and their misleading shit

>> No.3477454

>>3477449

Think of the job creation opertunities ;)

>> No.3477455

>>3477442
I ask this question myself, and truly, I think it comes down to people not wanting to assume the cost that the change will entail. Other reasons, which really are mostly excuses, is that people are too used to the old system and are incapable to change. Either way, I can't be certain, but likely, it's an economic issue.

>> No.3477459

>>3477454
Who pays for those jobs?

>> No.3477460

Planck units are god tier

Every other measurement system is shit tier

>> No.3477462

I don't know why it even matters. It's not difficult to use either one.

>> No.3477464

it's too rooted into the system to change. they actually tried to switch from imperial to metric in the 40s or 50s. chaos ensued. it would be even worse today

>> No.3477469

>>3477449
Ireland switched signage in 2005 and didn't have any problems

Most engineering equipment is metric anyway, most of the time it's just retarded bolt sizes at the end

>thatamericanchopperexample

>> No.3477473

>>3477462

CSB time.

My dad worked for Lockheed Martin after he left NASA.

Lockheed teamed up with the European Space Agency to send a probe to Mars. Some fucker didn't convert Lockheed's imperial measurements to metric and the probe went slamming into Mars at a few thousand miles per hour.

Oooops.

>> No.3477475

Op in that picture whats that country called thats west of canada thats red?

>> No.3477470

>>3477462
Metric is simpler to use, and is the standard system both in the majority of nations and in the sciences.

>> No.3477479

>>3477475

The Soviet Union

>> No.3477480

>>3477469
Ireland is quite a bit different from the United States.

>> No.3477481
File: 18 KB, 250x250, 1309326943072.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3477481

>>3477470
>the sciences
>metric
>not SI

I can not WAIT for the end of summer!!!

>> No.3477484

>>3477475
If you're serious, that's Alaska. It is an American state.

>> No.3477488

Natural units>derived units

>> No.3477489

>>3477459

Well the US government seems very keen to throw money at the economy

>> No.3477491
File: 14 KB, 300x300, bush.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3477491

>>3477475

that's Alaska, the largest (geographically) state of the USA

>> No.3477493
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3477493

>mfw I'm a civil engineer and love the imperial system b/c it makes my job harder for foreigners to steal

>> No.3477495

>>3477491
so this Alaska country is owned by you US people just like puerto rico and so on?

>> No.3477501

>>3477489
Indeed. However, proposing a nationwide switch to metric, especially while the news media is saturated with talk of the deficit, would not be a wise political move.

>> No.3477503

>>3477473
Not because there is anything inherently wrong with either system. That was just stupidity.

>> No.3477500

>>3477493

Okay that is a real reason...LOL

>> No.3477505

>>3477495
Puerto Rico is a U.S. Territory. Alaska is one of the 50 states. It's not a separate country.

>> No.3477506

>>3477495
It's not a country, it's a state. We bought the land from Russia fair and square. Puerto Rico isn't a state, it's simply a territory.

>> No.3477507
File: 20 KB, 479x354, watchmen.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3477507

>>3477493
>mfw nobody will buy your retarded designs because they can't get the retarded parts
>mfw you go out of business due to nationalistic faggotry

>> No.3477510

>>3477501

Hey they have waited this long, I don't think a couple of months will hurt anyone.

>implying the re-election of a black man will cause the fox network to go supercritical

>> No.3477511

>>3477506
so is this alaskan territory is the same thing as lets saw hawaii?

and what are these states? is alaska a liquid or a solid or something?

>> No.3477514

>>3477510
In the United States, virtually anything government-related has the potential to cause a massive shitstorm. If anything, the switch to metric should be done sometime after the next election.

>> No.3477516

>>3477511
Oh, you're a troll.

>> No.3477533
File: 32 KB, 501x830, measure.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
3477533

>implying this is advantageous to base 10

captcha: 1786, lonarye
the last year it was acceptable to not use the metric system

>> No.3477547

>>3477442
>the odd multi-million dollar cockup
This wouldn't happen if you didn't have to convert between two systems. It's as much an argument for the abolition of metric as of imperial.

>> No.3477555

Admittedly it's taken them a while, but america is slowly changing. Ask any american where they use metric measurements as opposed to imperial. There's a couple cases where they do.
A lot of their speedometers show the km/h under the mph.

They're in the "getting used to the other system" phase.

>> No.3477562

>>3477547

Unlikely to abolish a system used by 95% of the worlds population (and the US military) although you do make a good observation.

>> No.3477595

>with the customary gnashing of teeth
'destroy all the empires. leave one.'

the imperial system exists because people want power and control.

there's the us and then there's russia. if you oppose aiding these countries during trade negotiations, you have a high likelihood of being murdered or suffering an 'accident.'

comparatively, china is actually taking a softer approach to things.

>> No.3477602

>>3477595
>failing to recognize we're talking about systems of measurement
>failing

>> No.3477608

UK here, we still use miles on the roads, feet for measuring our height (and inches for cocks), stone for weight. Lots of people still cook with lb and oz.

People like what they have and are comfortable with, don't let it offend you too much OP.

>> No.3477610

Because america as a whole is a hard place to get mass change to to take place in, especially with something more or less trivial like this.

Plus, for most everyday measurements, centimeters are too small, meters too long.

>> No.3477630

>>3477608

OP here not offended by individuals using their antiquated systems if they must, I do have a problem with nations and industry doing it.

>> No.3477647

>>3477610
>Plus, for most everyday measurements, centimeters are too small, meters too long.

This is the most retarded argument ever.

>> No.3477650

>>3477610

Are you honestly saying that it is too difficult to say or write 19 cm as opposed to 7.5 in or 1.8 m as to 2 yd? Really?

>> No.3477687

>>3477630
UK road signs are in miles.
Legally food packaging must use grams/ml. But plenty of things like milk and sugar list both metric and imperial.
You need to be fairly comfortable with both to always know what you're getting.
And, of course, we use Celsius when bitching about how cold it is and Fahrenheit when bitching about how hot it is.

>> No.3477698

>>3477687

>"And, of course, we use Celsius when bitching about how cold it is and Fahrenheit when bitching about how hot it is."

Ah the British way...