When will the USA fall to the metric system?

[El Moose Monstero]

As soon as bloody possible! Have you any idea how annoying it to be an Englishman/Metric Boy in America in a science lab? They want the temperature in celsius, but do they give us a thermometer with celsius on it? Nooo... they give us a formula... They want heights in cm, but do they give us a cm ruler (I had one anyway so I just laughed at everyone converting), no, a formula. They ask us homework questions in km, and I get about 6 people asking me how many m in a km...

But that's just cause I'm a metric kinda guy, I know many of my mates would love it here.

[Tsyroc]

In healthcare in the US we use the metric system quite a lot. We still have some odd things though. Most of the time a person's temperature is taken in Farenheit. Most weights are taken in pounds but we or the computer convert them to kilograms for doseing since that is a very common way to dose things. mg/kg, mg/kg/min, mcg/kg/min etc....

All of the volumes of the IV bags we use are metric.

There are a few odd hold overs though. We get boxes of with little packets of tripple antibiotic in them. They are labeled as "one gross". In otherwords one dozen dozen, or 144 packets.

We do have the added annoyance of also having the old apothecary system hanging around. We ocassionally get stuff ordered in drams (don't ask me) and every day I see orders for tylenol in grains. Tylenol X would be 10 grains of tylenol or 650mg which is two of the regular (325mg) strength tablets/caplets.

There's other screwy stuff but that's because it can be ordered in multiple types of units. mg & milli-equivalentes (Meqs), milli-moles and milli-equivalents. It's a pain.

The best one is liquids ordered as a %. I don't know who thought this one up but the percentage is always based on how many grams there are in 100ml. So something that is 20% would be 200mg/ml or 20grams in 100ml. Of course we constantly bounce back and forth between people ording stuff in cc's and ml's. They are essentially the same but ml's (milliliters) is more correct.

I guess the one big annoying things that is still around is the table sppon and teaspoon. We usually conver those to milli-liters which is a pain.

Anyway, I think the things we'll have the harderst time giving up are "miles", "pounds", "gallon" and the Farenheit scale.

Miles just because there hasn't been any push to stop using them and kilometers don't convert to miles very easily.

It's hard to say with pounds to killigrams. The conversion is fairly easy so we might switch this one over as the babby boomers need more healthcare but I wouldn't hold my breath.

The gallon is okay because I've already seen stuff at work come in 4 liter jugs and people just refer to it as a gallon.

The Farenheit scale is going to be tough. In everyday life you can use such a large amount of it's scale I've heard some people argue that it is more useful scale because of it. Maybe not for science but everyday life.

[Darth Wong]

Trivia question: anybody else here know what 'rankine' means in the Imperial system?

It's their version of the Kelvin.

[Admiral Valdemar]

Geebus, does America have to be different in everything and make it harder for themselves in the long run?

Imperial = outdated and stupid.

Metric = superior.

[Singular Quartet]

Trivia question: anybody else here know what 'rankine' means in the Imperial system?

It's their version of the Kelvin.

GAH!

And Mike, you are correct. I do know most of the units of both systems (physics is fun and evil. Our teacher enforced that one) so it's not tomuhc trouble, but intersystem-conversions (begins going into convulsions)

[Howedar]

I expect to see a metric US in my lifetime.

[David]

I suspect things are moving along at good pace, considering that all the colleges now require that everything be done in SI units.

[Admiral Valdemar]

I expect to see a metric US in my lifetime.

I only wish I could be that optimistic.

[Darth Wong]

I suspect things are moving along at good pace, considering that all the colleges now require that everything be done in SI units.

My university did too. But when I got out, I had to work with Imperial units because that's what industry demanded.

[Luzifer's right hand]

The Farenheit scale is going to be tough. In everyday life you can use such a large amount of it's scale I've heard some people argue that it is more useful scale because of it. Maybe not for science but everyday life.

We use the metric system in everyday life in austria exept kelvin, because it sucks to use it in everyday life.(we use Celsius)

[Tsyroc]

I just remember when I was in junior high and we had classes on the metric system. We were all supposed to be converting to it soon. That was the early 80s.

However, at least the interest in the Metric system kept us from doing too many story problems with bussels and pecks and all that crap from the imperial system.

I still don't care for small imperial measurements when cooking.

[Luzifer's right hand]

damn! double post

[Admiral Valdemar]

The Farenheit scale is going to be tough. In everyday life you can use such a large amount of it's scale I've heard some people argue that it is more useful scale because of it. Maybe not for science but everyday life.

We use the metric system in everyday life in austria exept kelvin, because it sucks to use it in everyday life.(we use Celsius)

I don't know anyone who uses Kelvin in everyday life anyway. It's a science unit and it's far simpler to use Celsius (not that crap Farenheit).

One thing that does piss me off is people saying "Degrees Kelvin".

[Howedar]

I expect to see a metric US in my lifetime.

I only wish I could be that optimistic.

Well I do expect to live a long time.

[Darth Wong]

The Farenheit scale is the worst thing about Imperial, and it would be the easiest thing to change by far. At least you don't have to worry about machine components not fitting together because of it.

In Celsius, freezing point is 0 degrees and boiling point is 100 degrees. Nobody can successfully explain to me how Farenheit can possibly be a better system for "everyday use" than that. They're just used to its idiosyncrasies, that's all.

[Crayz9000]

We use the metric system in everyday life in austria exept kelvin, because it sucks to use it in everyday life.(we use Celsius)

Kelvin is simply an offset from Celsius/centigrade (or vice versa, depending on how you're looking at it) where zero corresponds to absolute zero.

[Darth Fanboy]

Wait until you get into industry. There are hundreds of billions of dollars of equipment out there with Imperial specifications, Imperial spare parts, etc. That's a lot of inertia to overcome.

Imperial sounds so much cooler. Also Id much rather drive in miles Per Hour, Kilometers are wussy. Otherwise I'm all for the metric system, My weight would drop to about 100, and my Penis would grow to about 20!

[Shinova]

The USA, with the expanding trend of globalization and more international connections, will have to switch to metric sometime sooner or later. Maybe thirty years, more or less.

[Slartibartfast]

Down with the tyranny of the Imperial system of measurements! Down with the tyranny of the Imperial system of measurements!

Unpleasantness To Oppressors When Convenient!

I guess that's why most of our imports come from Europe and Japan, and hardly from the US.

[Admiral Valdemar]

The USA, with the expanding trend of globalization and more international connections, will have to switch to metric sometime sooner or later. Maybe thirty years, more or less.

Ah, the world could have ended by then. Not good enough.

[phongn]

The USA will switch to metric when they stop worshiping the Almighty Dollar wholesale, bar anything else (including basic human rights too). In other words: Never. The USA will die as a civilization first.

Are you willing to pay the extra price to wholly convert the US from Imperial to Metric?

[Spanky The Dolphin]

I hate the Imperial system. Fractions in base-12 are just stupid. And I still don't know what the fuck horsepower, foot pounds, and all those other shit are because their names don't describe their units.

Speaking of Fahrenheit and Centigrade, the Straight Dope has an interesting Classic Column on their origins.

[phongn]

I hate the Imperial system. Fractions in base-12 are just stupid. And I still don't know what the fuck horsepower, foot pounds, and all those other shit are because their names don't describe their units.

Volume in Imperial is pretty easy, it's base-2. Horsepower is power, so that shouldn't be too hard anyways Ft-lbs defines work (since W=fd). Pounds are messy, since there is lbm (mass) and lbf (force).

[Andrew J.]

I think we might convert to metric...if they rip the Imperial rulers from our cold, dead hands!

[Darth Servo]

In my job here in Houston (which is a lab tech at a medical research college so its a bit of an anomoly) we're entirely metric. And how often do you buy a gallon of soda?