Why is America not changing to metric?

The Op's question has been answered by Hinky and I think 2 others.

We tried. I was in 4th grade. We couldn't do it. We hated it. It didn't work for us. There is the answer! Big push for it under Carter mid to late 70's. no worky! did i mention that yet. The end.

Now if you want to change the title of this thread to..."Why won't America try again" or "Why America should go metric" that would spark some debate I'm sure.

A number of years ago, Canada went from imperial to metric.

Some aspects of metric have become established while others haven't.

Years of hearing the temperature in metric have made it clear that 30 degrees celsius is you-better-wear-shorts weather. It's important to understand temperature, so you pay attention.

But almost everybody in Canada still uses feet and inches for people's height, maybe because it's not a measurement that requires our attention on a day to day basis.

But speed limits based on kilometers per hour are important because the cops will be following you with their sirens wailing if you don't understand.

And how much gas costs per liter has really caught our attention recently, for obvious reasons.

I think the fact that metric is based on base ten, which is the method built into calculators, is the main advantage of metric.

But whether America ever chooses to go metric or not really doesn't matter that much because America's scientists seem to be smart enough to master the metric system. Their jobs require it.

Ok so we may be stubborn but lets think about the entire change thing. Let's start with people trying to change our constitution? Has anyone tried to tell France or Germany to change their laws? How about the people trying to make english a second language in America? Try changing the language in China or Japan. Remember when they tried to role out spanish street signs in Florida?
This is America and what makes it great is its freedoms. We have our language, our measures, and our laws. If people don't want to follow our rules let them move to a wonderful metric country.
There is truth to the fact that we would have huge issues between rolling it out to the masses and the costs involved with changing all of the street signs, speed signs, recalculating the gas pumps, oil delivery trucks etc.
America is free and fine. As for the person blaming things on our President. If you can do better by all measn ste up and be counted!

In a scientific essay, Isaac Asimov showed that using english measurements was actually closer to scientific truth than the metric system when talking about astronomical things. I can't remember the book, but it was filled with nothing but his scientific essays.

reply to post by hinky



I rarely read such a dumbass yankee post. Cheers.

(Go on mods : do your pretty job on that of mine).

meh, the US uses a mix of metric and imperial measurements, with no good reason for which is used at any given time. Many American cars, for example, use a random mix of metric and SAE imperial sizes for no given reason.

The metric system is taught in schools; why nobody seems to know it is beyond me. I personally tend use metric, except when driving, since almost all the road signs are for miles.

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[edit on 22/9/08 by Obliv_au]

Good topic.. The world needs to standardize on *something*. Yah what happened to the 1970s? We were making progress in that era. I sure miss those days. Science needs to define how and why the metric system is more accurate over other more ancient measurement. Old School, or New School?

I think it has more to do with the fact that our system works for us than it does stubbornness or laziness. Most things we measure, with the exception of the scientific and medical fields, are accurately measured in feet, inches, acres, teaspoons, cups, etc. Is 0.4536 better than 1 pound? Would you rather measure 1 quart? Or 9.464 deciliters? Our current system, lazy as the rest of the world may think it is, is much simpler to measure out and and it works for us. The human mind does not typically think in decimal points unless we have to. Why should we change to a system that really just complicates measurements and conversions? From what I have seen in this thread, quite a few from metric using countries still use imperial measurements for some things. So why should we switch to a system that those from countries who officially use still don't use completely?