Re: Comet - specs in imperial ?

On Jul 16, 10:31 am, "Jeff" <j...@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
"> The problem with market forces in this case is that it has allowed a

vocal minority (backed up by the tabloid press) to discourage the use of
metric on the basis that "it's foreign" (it's not, but I won't go into
that). The current system is no different than if some shops decided to
start displaying prices using the old LSD system - some alongside decimal
currency but others instead of. So many people might prefer LSD but it
would make it harder for the majority.

I think that you are wrong, the persistence of imperial units, I think, is
more down to the fact that they have more relevance to everyday life.

A Pint is a sensible measure for milk beer etc.
A Foot is sensible as a measure of medium sized distances
Most people seem to equate metres to yards anyway
A mile is more sensible than a km, which is too small for long distances.
A pound is about right as a unit to buy meat and veg in.

Below 1/2 inch or so I will agree that a mm is a better measurement,
fractions of an inch are just too clumsy, although old engineers talk in
'thou'. (or mil if you are American).

A decimal money system is much easier than LSD, but its introduction did
cause much inflation and greater price hikes.

Using F as opposed to C for temperature has numbers that are more meaningful
with a more sensible increment, (until you get to freezing).

Old measurements still persist in many areas, on the seas for example the
Cable is still very much alive and kicking, merely because it is a sensible
and relevant unit to use in the application.

Jeff

Speak for yourself. I'll buy milk in litre or 2 litre containers.
Beer is the only drink that I'll have a pint of, but that's not likely
to change for a while anyway.

No idea why feet are more practical than metres, or miles are better
than km. You're not looking at significantly different types of
values. A mile is a 15 minute walk. A km is a 10 minute walk. 100km/
h is a nice safe cruising speed that won't cause offence to other
drivers on the left hand lane of a motorway.

I have no idea why Fahrenheit would be more meaningful. it means
nothing to me. I have no idea what numbers are pleasant, hot, baking,
or cold. Nor have I ever learned what temperature to bake cakes at in
Fahrenheit because I've never needed to.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: The Planet
    ... 36,000,000,000 gives a flesh colored cube about 5/8 of a mile on each ... less than a mile in diameter. ... The internal temperature. ... the blackbody radiation of such an assembly? ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
  • Re: Units question for Americans
    ... I know that a foot is about 30cm, and therefore a yard is around 90% of a metre, and a mile is sort of 5/3 km, but I have no feel for it any more. ... As someone upthread pointed out - the only real reason for not switching to the metric system is familiarity, the units in any system are essentially arbitrary, avoiding negative values in temperature measurement is not bad reason, but since most people on Earth live in areas where it doesn't get below 0C/32f, it's a tad precious, and "100f is near the temperature of the human body" is frankly pathetic, if it *was* the average temperature of the human body it would make sense. ...
    (rec.arts.sf.written)
  • Re: The Planet
    ... 36,000,000,000 gives a flesh colored cube about 5/8 of a mile on each ... A sphere would be ballpark the same size, ... less than a mile in diameter. ... The internal temperature. ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
  • Re: The Financial Crisis is much worse than you think ( Re: Its a Whole Blue World!)
    ... You should lay off the LSD. ... You clipped what he was including, which was the cost -- ... I was thinking more about Orange County, ... mile, by the time it was all done. ...
    (rec.arts.sf.written)
  • Re: The Financial Crisis is much worse than you think ( Re: Its a Whole Blue World!)
    ... $10 billion per mile, ... You should lay off the LSD. ... You clipped what he was including, which was the cost -- including lawsuits -- of getting the right-of-way in the middle of places like Los Angeles. ...
    (rec.arts.sf.written)