While conversing with a colleague today about the unusually cold temperatures we're having today, he mentioned that it was too bad that the United States hadn't pulled the trigger on a conversion to metric measurements when the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 was passed in the legislature. I started to wonder just when someone, probably a president, would get around to pushing the country from the centuries-abandonded Imperial system into the modern age of metric measurement. I keep hoping Obama will be that president.
And wouldn't now be an excellent time to start the conversion? People associate Obama with change; he has excellent approval ratings; and perhaps the conversion could come in the form of a government stimulus to help the economy, where the government would help fund the purchase and renovation of product labelling, signage, packaging, and production machinery. I think all of the upgrades could provide a kick to the economy. Think about it: it's laughable, frankly, that the government has mandated a switch to digital television but is afraid of switching to metric. We're more intent on providing crystal-clear entertainment than we are in modernizing our businesses and helping our children's math skills.
Comments (10)
January 14, 2009
11:34AM | #
Not gonna happen.
January 14, 2009
1:15PM | #
Amen to that! With 15+ years of science education and employment I already think in metric terms and have to do conversions to the english standard when needed. Thanks for the link to the pro-metrication article.
January 14, 2009
2:48PM | #
I agree, I'd love to see a switch to Metric, but consider the big issues facing Obama, and then you decide if he should make this a priority:
1. Recession (or is it a depression now?).
2. Energy crisis.
3. War in Middle East.
And he has to deal with all of those before he can take care of all the "fix what Bush did" stuff he mentioned during the election. I agree with Lola. While I'd love to see the switch happen, I doubt it's going to. Definitely not anytime soon, and maybe never.
January 14, 2009
2:54PM | #
How exactly would it modernize our business and help our children's math skills? Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are the same regardless of the units used.
Let's say it did happen. What would be the benefits?
January 14, 2009
3:10PM | #
@Richard, I'd certainly argue that the Imperial system puts our business and children at a disadvantage. Any company that wants to sell its products both outside and inside of the U.S. must sell them in different quantities for each market, with different packaging. And no, math is not the same regardless of the units-- calculations with metric units are easier because switching units (millimeters, centimeters, meters, kilometers) is as easy as moving a decimal place. Calculations with Imperial units is recognizably harder when you have to convert between miles, yards, and inches or between tonnes, pounds, and ounces. For instance, pharmacists and drug makers switched to dispensing the pills we all take to milligrams long ago. Let's face it, the mere presence of the Imperial system makes us prone to mistakes.
I think the benefits would be economies of scale both in international trade and in ease of business transactions.
January 14, 2009
3:24PM | #
Right, I can just here it now, "Tom Brady, starting at his own goal line, down by 4, has 2 minutes to drive his team 91.44 meters....."
Yep, not gonna happen!
Cheers,
David
January 14, 2009
4:39PM | #
Canada switched to the metric system 30 years ago, but we still use yards for football. There's a certain charm in keeping a few anachronistic measurements around. They still serve beer in pints in England (which incidentally is 20 oz in the Imperial system of volumes used in Commonwealth countries).
The US is the only major country still using the old system. For such a dynamic, innovative country, I have always found it odd the way the US can be such a stick in the mud on certain things. Dollar bills instead of a dollar coin. No $2 bill or coin. What's up with that? "Ain't gonna happen." Why not? (except of course, Obama has a ton on his plate and isn't going to spend political capital on this).
A lot of extra spending would need to happen for conversion so it might work as a stimulus, especially if stimulus $$ were available to help businesses.
January 14, 2009
6:12PM | #
So because the calculations are easier, we'd be helping our children's math skills? Pretty faulty logic.
I can't say I know for sure about all packaging, but just about everything I buy has the metric equivalent listed on the box. A can of Coke in Europe is still 12 ounces, and wouldn't they have to change the language on the package in most cases anyway?
I really don't care if the US changes or not, but if that's the first thing you get excited about when a new president enters office?
January 14, 2009
7:20PM | #
@Richard, thanks for your opinions, but I guess I just have a different opinion than you on whether the metric system is easier for kids to learn than the Imperial system. I also think it's unarguably true that business around the world would save millions if the U.S. were to switch to metric.
And I don't know why you presume that conversion to metric would be my first priority for our new President; but since you ask, I would rate stimulus to the economy, restoration of civil liberties/checks-and-balances, and closure of Gitmo as higher priorities. Of course, if the President also thought that conversion to the metric system would provide a stimulus to the economy, then I wouldn't mind if he made it an early act in his tenure.
January 15, 2009
5:33AM | #
I guess you usually hold on to what you know, because it's more convenient.
I visited the USA first in 1997. I remember seeing signs on the highway (in Kentucky or Ohio I guess) where the distance to cities was given both in miles and kilometers. Friends told me there had been attempts to introduce the metric system, but, it never really was accepted.
Same for money. Many things would would be much easier if there was only one currency worldwide. Although I have to admit that I am not into economics to see all reasons for or against a common currency. ;-)