Why is America not changing to metric?

When I watch Nova science programs, the American scientists refer to metric measurements, and so it appears that metric is the dominant system of measurement in science pretty well everywhere.

The U.S. and the U.K. are holdouts on the world stage (have I missed anyone?).

So what does metric provide that feet, inches, etc. doesn't?

Millimeters are shorter than sixteenths of an an inch. And water freezes at zero degrees in metric. And the metric system is based on base ten (calculators like that).

But most of all, the science world does business in metric.

Here in Canada, we have gone metric, but people's height is still based on feet.

reply to post by droid56


Why is the US not changing to the metric system?

Why didn'tford invest in smaller car/ truck production?

Why didn't the US invest in education?

Why did we really go into the Iraq war?


Its just one of hundreds of questions we can ask the US. And this will probably be the answer:

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Terrorist, 9-11, World Trade Center, 9-11, Extremists, Brittany Spears



[edit on 8-8-2008 by '___'eed]

reply to post by droid56

I am glad that we haven't changed to metric. I don't see the point, when we already have a system in place for counting why change it?

Go to youtube.com and just watch Miss South Carolina answer why is it that some Americans can't find the US on a map. If road signs suddenly changed to speed limit 90 KMH, many would be flying down the road at 90 MPH, it just isn't safe to force some Americans to go metric. Apparently our education system needs help from South Africa first. We'll have to start with the basics and start educating young students so that they know where to find a map. Apparently there was a shipping error with the maps we imported and most students didn't know what the words "Les États-Unis" meant. It looked all Greek to them.

Calling the UK holdouts is not quite correct, search google for "metric martyr" for some info on what our government tried to do to someone who didn't want to convert.

A few reasons really.

1. We're stubborn in the U.S. We don't go changing the way we do something just because most of the world does it that way.

2. Laziness. Why bother to change when the system we have in place now works just as well? Using base 4 is no harder than using base 10.

3. The most important reason, cost. Who is going to pay to change every street sign, every ruler, every tape measure, every range finder, every map, every label in the US that's currently using imperial measurements?

4. Confusion. Most everyone in the US is used to the imperial standard we use today. Changing it would cause massive confusion, and that isn't a good thing on the road. Granted, it'll be a boon to police departments when they nail someone for doing 90 mph on a road because they saw a speed limit sign for 90kmph and forgot we're on a metric system now.

[edit on 8/8/2008 by tebyen]

the insanity of the ` imperial ` measurement system is evident as soon as you glance at a enginnering drawing and seee measurements like :

5.290 inches

WTF is that - it is a bastardisation - attemting to cling to imperial - while simetaneously " embracing " the logic of base 10 decimal divisions

the SI system is fully integrated - the imperial meaurmests use bespoke units for every different parameter - with no cross over

an example is torque

to go from pounds feet , to pounds inches requires division by 12 - ONLY scaling from feet to inches demands this

pounds to ounces is a 16th division

whereas in SI - EVERYTHING resolves to 10th , 100th , 1000th etc - in a logical order

NASA has learnt to its cost that converting a drawing produced in europe with SI measurements to imperial so it can be read by US engineers and the tolerences checked with american instruments - can lead to errors

imperial standard measures were adequate in thier day - but now we have SI they are simply archaic and clinging to them out of ` tradition ` is assanine

It as simple as "why do we need to change to something we don't use or like."

Let the world change to our system. President Carter tried to shove the crap down the American throat with changing highway signs and other public signage with metric drivel. People hated it then, and hate it now.

I know the hard science use the metric system so that scientists in other countries will understand what they are being told when American has major breakthroughs in some new area of discovery. I know cars are full of odd sized bolts and nuts that take the funny named sockets.

The metric system is quietly operating behind the scenes in the American economy. But keep it there, there is absolutely no reason to change from a system that has a proven history of sustaining the world's largest economy and home of the freedom loving people of the world; to a system that hasn't the history nor the proven track record. Some would consider it a risky move.

ignorant_ape, your example left out something very important. Show where that is on a real tape measure used by hard working American construction workers. We still use the good, old fashioned, and very well trusted within the construction industry; 1/2", 1/4", 1/8". 1/16", and 1/32" inch scales.

This is what makes America great. We don't conform to the one world government (NWO) drive to standardize like the other follower nations have. We are a nation of individualists driven by personal freedom and a trusted Republic form of government to support our Democratic, freedomistic way of life.

Originally posted by droid56
Why is America not changing to metric?

Because we don't want to. That's why.

It's just that simple.

All of you claiming it is cost, and everyone is used to the old system etc...do you realize other countries like Australia actually made the change back in the 60's. They went from imperial to metric, and from Pounds to Dollars. So if they can do it, anyone can...

The real reason is that the majority of US citizens are not very bright (just look who they voted in a president! lol) and it would be way too hard for most of them (TIC).

Even though metric is easier to use, there is an innate human trait that is the fear of change and that is why.

reply to post by hinky


I agree 100 inches!!

I remember back when the US tried to take hold of the metric system also.

Most of the time you'd get cheated on contents e.g. you would buy 7.50 liter bottle and pay the same as you did for a pint (16 ounces) and thats just one example.

We will stay with the current pounds, feet and yards and quarts thank you.

reply to post by RUFFREADY



You kicked in some long dead brain cells.

To show my true age, does anyone else remember buying a fifth of whiskey?

Talk about cheating people. I do remember the smaller bottles for the same price.

In real life, I've haven't been drunk since 1978 although I did have a few beers back in 1983. No kiddin'....

Changing to metrics isn't a bad idea, however to do it shouldn't we do it gradually? Teach it in schools and then over an extended period of time slowly put the practice into our everyday lives.

On the other side of the arguement. Just because the science world and most countries do it why should we? We have been using it for a very long time and it works for us. The majority of the world speak english so why shouldn't other countries change their official language to english?

I'm for the metric system and I'm for staying where we are now. Either way works for me.

Originally posted by WatchNLearn
All of you claiming it is cost, and everyone is used to the old system etc...do you realize other countries like Australia actually made the change back in the 60's. They went from imperial to metric, and from Pounds to Dollars. So if they can do it, anyone can...

The real reason is that the majority of US citizens are not very bright

Yes, I'm well aware of what other countries have done. My response is so what.

Do you realize that both systems are taught in America? I remember quite well having to convert between the two in every math class while in school.

We have a perfectly good system, it works, and it's just as accurate as metric. What reason should we change, aside from most of the world uses metric?

The real reason is that the majority of US citizens are not very bright ummm, bite me. We are stubborn, not stupid.

I agree that we have a system in place that works for us, and we also teach metric conversion in school for international uses so why change?

I think the real cost would come when it came time to change every nut and bolt in the country to conform to this conversion. Who would want that job?
Every window that needs replacing would need to be reframed, all of the fixtures would need tweaking, it would be a nightmare.

It will be easier for us to remain where we are and keep learning conversions.

The U.S. should adopt the metric system...I don't know why they haven't. I don't know how much time, effort, money would be involved in making that transition. I believe it has to do with stubbornness.

Originally posted by tebyen
A few reasons really.

1. We're stubborn
2. Laziness.

4. Confusion.

valid reasons, all pretty much amounting to our pride in ignorance.

'Cause it's difficult.

They started the conversion to metric in the early 1970s. They didn't get very far, but you can still see some interstate highway distances in kilometers. I don't know why they didn't finish it, maybe they ran out of money.

BTW, hard alcohol uses the metric system.





















[edit on 8/8/2008 by kidflash2008]

Oh in England we are a mixture of both. A kilometre means only a silly measurement to me. A mile is what I go by.

But I use metres for distance, and feet for height. I use centimetres and millitmetres for small distances, but inches for larger distances.

Even in school we were taught a mix and match way, we never truly converted, just technically.