But what you have failed to state is what is the benefit to the USA population
of converting? Just to appease those who slept through the junior high class on
fractions? The benefits are solely to appease those who want us to be more like
them.
AS regarding "timber", we have become familiar with the shrinking of
dimensional lumber. It's strictly about money. Trees are harvested much sooner,
and in fact the average tree is harvested so early that it will produce at most
a half dozen 2x4's, and then sold so damp that a builder needs to get it fresh
off the truck and frame the house before the 2x's twist and warp beyond
usability.
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Thatcher" <plusphoto@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Olympus Camera Discussion" <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, March 9, 2019 4:35:24 AM
Subject: Re: [OM] IMG: Airport Experiment
Australia was metricated in 1974. I was nine. I can work quite happily
in either system (and I used to have fun confusing my dad with 50mm and
my kids with 2"), though I do prefer SI as it is natively much more
intuitive (for me).
We are still saddled by the inaccuracies of imperial timber (lumber)
measurements: a 'forbee' (4"x2") never measures 4x2 but usually
3-1/2"x1-3/4" (after milling - I guess it's a kind of 'imperial size
tax' :) ), so for compatibility the shops stock a 90x45mm which measures
pretty much exactly that. Interestingly we are now starting to see
'sensible' metric-multiple sizes like 10mm & 20mm replace the old
imperial-compatible sizes like 12 and 19mm. Only now are 'English'
whitworth sizes starting to be replaced by metric as the default
hardware shop bolt/nut ranges... I still wonder what the holdup was :)
I found it interesting to read that: Thomas Jefferson sent a
commissioner to France to obtain a set of metric standards (to ease
trade with Europe) which was lost to pirates on their return; the US
signed a treaty committing to support the metric system in 1875, and;
since the 1890s all of the US imperial standards are now defined against
metric standards, which are now held at the NIST. I still fail to see
what the benefit in holding out is, but I understand that I lack social
context - and I try to convert units* in my head when I talk to my son's
young lady friend (from the US).
*It was 110F in Adelaide last week and 70F this week :)
davidt
On Fri, Mar 08, 2019 at 11:43:53PM -0500, Bill Pearce wrote:
> The switch to metric was a stupid idea from stupid people. And try as I
> might, I can't find a way to blame trump on a lack of it.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> From: "Jan Steinman" <Jan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Friday, March 8, 2019 1:10:47 PM
> Subject: Re: [OM] IMG: Airport Experiment
>
> > From: Philippe <photo.philippe.amard@xxxxxxxxx>
> >
> >> Le 7 mars 2019 ? 22:54, Jim Nichols <jhnichols@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> a ?crit :
> >>
> >> 680 ounces
> >
> >
> > WOW !!! that?s 308 kg or a third of a ton or so, Jim
>
> I think you need to leave the unit conversions to them who are stuck in the
> last century, Philippe. :-)
>
> 680 avoirdupois ounces would be 19.3 kilograms ??? still a lot to carry,
> though!
>
> When I was in high school in the 1970s, we were introduced to the metric
> system, with the threat that we HAD to learn it, because we'd be switching to
> it ANY DAY NOW! I thought, "Oh, this is so cool! I can't wait for the
> glorious transition!"
>
> It never happened. I gave up waiting for the change in 2005, and moved to a
> saner country. :-)
>
> Jan
>
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