Metrics finally defeats Imperial measurements

[vulture2]

International function drives uniform standards, just as long-distance trains drove the adoption of uniform time. With the formation of NATO, the US Army went metric and it works just fine. Teenagers have no trouble calling in artillery strikes in meters, in life and death situations. Most don't remember or care that their "155 mm" guns were "soft metricated" from 6 inches decades ago. The auto industry went metric when US companies began assembling imported parts. Auto mechanics have no trouble with milimeters. If NASA, the aviation industry and the Air Force went metric they would be saving money within six months. The metric system is not perfect; the abandonment of the bar for the pascal under "SI" was a poor decision. But compared to the Imperial system, metric saves time, money, and errors. If we flew metric we would occasionally save lives as well. The construction industry, with little international trade and no central authority, will be the last to change. Other than nuts and bolts, we don't even need to change sizes of parts, just define them in metric units. But NASA should lead the way, not follow years behind.

 

[mako71]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p><br />vulture2: The metric system is not perfect; the abandonment of the bar for the pascal under "SI" was a poor decision.<br /><p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />We (in Finland) use bars for pressure (e.g. car and bike tyres), using SI officially doesn't necessarily replace units. Pascal [N/m^2 = kg/(m*s^2)] is for professionals only - it's easier in physic calculations, with bars you need to remember to divide the end result with 100,000 (1 bar = 100,000 Pascals, 1 atm ~ 1,01 bars ~ 101,000 Pascals).<br /><br />EDIT: ...For Americans; you really doesn't need to worry about some French-originated measurement units, because American English is getting all the time closer for being The International Language ;-) Guess, how much French like that (being one of the few countries in Europe, where you have difficultiess to get along with English) ;-D <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p>________________ </p><p>reaaliaika.net </p> </div>