EU gives up on 'metric Britain'

[Proteus_MST]

Originally posted by Sandman
A good move. Metric has mostly won in the UK anyway, no point prosecuting a few pensioners for something so harmless.

It isn´t harmless.
If I remember correctly it caused the destruction of an Ariane rocket,
because for parts of the steering programs of the Ariane some programmers used the metric system and some the imperial one.

[MikeH]

That happened with a NASA Mars Probe, I don't think it happened with an Ariane. Throughout school and university ('94-97) in the UK no-one ever used Imperial measurements for any proper science, it was all metric and virtually all SI.

http://www.ima.umn.edu/~arnold/disasters/ariane.html

Seriously. Scientists in the UK aren't using foot-pounds or any of that ****.

[OzzyKP]

Originally posted by Cort Haus


It's not about learning a new system, it's about being forced to use it.

While we're spending a hefty whack of our GNP changing all the road signs, should we switch to driving on the right too?

Ok, how about a compromise? The UK adopts driving on the right, Europe adopts imperial measurements for all day-to-day stuff and everyone adopts metric for scientific stuff. Everyone gives a little, everyone gets a little, and finally everyone is unified.

[Pekka]

Well it makes sense, I mean Freddy Mercury kept aids.

And also no compromise. We don't start using imperial system just because England has it and refuses to give up the aids.

This would be like giving into the demands of the frenchs, where we start speaking french as a viable second universal language.

It's not a matter of compromise, it's a matter of the best possible solution. Englanders will do what they want, they should do what they want but they just need to use two different systems because we aren't going to switch over. Just like the french need to speak english if they want to be understood. Meaning they will keep their aids and remain out of our range of understanding.

Besides, from the material I've read about Englanders, it's fine, they use both systems well enough. Meaning that if there's science stuff, they already do it properly, so there's no need for any kind of consensus, it is good as it is. No need to fix because it's not broken.

[Flubber]

What is the big deal with two systems?-- (Except for the annoyance of needing two sets of socket wrenches)

In Canada we have bumped along with a "mostly metric" system for years. People still most commonly state their height and weight in imperial but otherwise most things are commonly metric. Although I think the last time I bought a steak I noticed it was labelled both ways

But the pint of beer has not disappeared-- nor should it- THings that are familiar and commonly used will likely continue long after the system they come from are forgotten. I would bet that even if everyone in the world started using metric, we would still see the pint of beer

And its not that hard to know two systems-- pretty much any Canadian could probably convert Celcius to Farenheit in a split second using the "double it and add thirty rule" At temperatures between minus 10 and plus 30 celcius that rough approximation will be within 4 degrees.

Outside that range numbers are irrelevant as they can be described as "too dam* cold" or "too f***ing hot"

[dannubis]

Originally posted by Cort Haus
Can you imagine walking into a pub and asking for five-eighths of a litre of beer, or whatever it is?

No, but given the fact that a pint of beer already for a long time is not an exact pint of beer anymore your point is as moot as your GBP.

[DAVOUT]

Originally posted by dannubis


No, but given the fact that a pint of beer already for a long time is not an exact pint of beer anymore your point is as moot as your GBP.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Flubber
And its not that hard to know two systems-- pretty much any Canadian could probably convert Celcius to Farenheit in a split second using the "double it and add thirty rule" At temperatures between minus 10 and plus 30 celcius that rough approximation will be within 4 degrees.

Only old Canadians. I think of everything in Celsius...I need to convert from Fahrenheit to Celsius in my head to judge how warm it is.

[Jon Miller]

Originally posted by Proteus_MST


It isn´t harmless.
If I remember correctly it caused the destruction of an Ariane rocket,
because for parts of the steering programs of the Ariane some programmers used the metric system and some the imperial one.

I thought that was engineers, but then I don't know much about the astro-side of things.

I know that all the physics classes I have ever had have been in SI/CGS/natural units.

JM

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by DAVOUT

What are you laughing about? Their economy is doing better than yours.

[Flubber]

Originally posted by Asher


Only old Canadians. I think of everything in Celsius...I need to convert from Fahrenheit to Celsius in my head to judge how warm it is.

I think in celcius too- 30 is a hot day--15 to 20 is pleasant etc etc . I think 98% of Canadian think and deal with temperatures in celcius.

But if someone gives me a temperature in Farenheit I don't have to think about it

Oh and in height and weight I think that 98% of Canadians asked would respond in imperial


Ya know, if it wasn't for those dang socket wrenches that fit the bolts for the other system just poorly enough ... arrghh -- BUt for that, I wouldn't care if we had two systems going to the end of time

But to end the socket wrench problem I propose the use of Canadian Stealth Nation technology to annex Britain and the US and any other place they still DARE to give you a 5/16ths wrench

[Lancer]

EU gave up long ago on learning feet and inches fo this is only fair.

[dannubis]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
What are you laughing about? Their economy is doing better than yours.

But their wealth level isn't

[C0ckney]

Originally posted by dannubis


No, but given the fact that a pint of beer already for a long time is not an exact pint of beer anymore your point is as moot as your GBP.

look at the little belgian, thinking he's all important because he gets to use the same money as his french and german overlords. so cute.

[C0ckney]

Originally posted by Flubber
What is the big deal with two systems?-- (Except for the annoyance of needing two sets of socket wrenches)

three in reality (damn whitworth!).

the serious point though is the EU trying to impose uniformity where it just isn't needed. we use a mixture of imperial and metric and rub along just fine.