jar546
Forum Coordinator
It's time for the US to use the metric system
By Susannah Locke@susannahlocke
As read on Vox: https://www.vox.com/2014/5/29/5758542/time-for-the-US-to-use-the-metric-system
The metric system is far superior to the bizarre system of feet, miles, pounds, and gallons used in the United States. The whole rest of the world seems to get this. So why aren't we doing it, too?
The United States actually tried to once before. In the 1970s, there was a big push to switch to metric. But it fizzled out because the legislation wasn't strong enough. And that failed legislation created a slew of naysayers who think that switching to metric is simply impossible.
But that's not true. The reasons to go metric are stronger than ever, and it's time to revive the effort. In our increasingly global economy, America's bizarre measurement system puts the country at a disadvantage. Popular opinion on the matter seems to be quite positive, and there are some hints of change on the horizon.
Why the metric system is superior
The measuring system that the United States uses right now isn't really a system at all. It's a hodgepodge of various units that often seem to have no logical relationship to one another, units collected throughout our history here and there, bit by bit. Twelve inches in a foot, three feet in a yard, 1,760 yards in a mile.
The metric system, by contrast, was intentionally created with ease and simplicity in mind. And as a result, it's incredibly efficient to use. All you need to do is multiply or divide by some factor of ten. 10 millimeters in a centimeter, 100 centimeters in a meter, 1,000 meters in a kilometer. Water freezes at 0°C and boils at 100°C.
By Susannah Locke@susannahlocke
As read on Vox: https://www.vox.com/2014/5/29/5758542/time-for-the-US-to-use-the-metric-system
The metric system is far superior to the bizarre system of feet, miles, pounds, and gallons used in the United States. The whole rest of the world seems to get this. So why aren't we doing it, too?
The United States actually tried to once before. In the 1970s, there was a big push to switch to metric. But it fizzled out because the legislation wasn't strong enough. And that failed legislation created a slew of naysayers who think that switching to metric is simply impossible.
But that's not true. The reasons to go metric are stronger than ever, and it's time to revive the effort. In our increasingly global economy, America's bizarre measurement system puts the country at a disadvantage. Popular opinion on the matter seems to be quite positive, and there are some hints of change on the horizon.
Why the metric system is superior
The measuring system that the United States uses right now isn't really a system at all. It's a hodgepodge of various units that often seem to have no logical relationship to one another, units collected throughout our history here and there, bit by bit. Twelve inches in a foot, three feet in a yard, 1,760 yards in a mile.
The metric system, by contrast, was intentionally created with ease and simplicity in mind. And as a result, it's incredibly efficient to use. All you need to do is multiply or divide by some factor of ten. 10 millimeters in a centimeter, 100 centimeters in a meter, 1,000 meters in a kilometer. Water freezes at 0°C and boils at 100°C.