How pirates stole the metric system from America - photos

[Gasman2000]

There is a a bit more info on the NIST Website - I think the following is a particularly interesting fact and one that is not so widely appreciated;

In 1893, metric standards, developed through international cooperation under the auspices of BIPM, were adopted as the fundamental standards for length and mass in the United States. Our customary measurements -- the foot, pound, quart, etc. -- have been defined in relation to the meter and the kilogram ever since.

https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/f...tric/1136a.pdf

[mklotz]

There is a a bit more info on the NIST Website - I think the following is a particularly interesting fact and one that is not so widely appreciated;

In 1893, metric standards, developed through international cooperation under the auspices of BIPM, were adopted as the fundamental standards for length and mass in the United States. Our customary measurements -- the foot, pound, quart, etc. -- have been defined in relation to the meter and the kilogram ever since.

https://www.nist.gov/sites/default/f...tric/1136a.pdf

Yes, this comes up all the time in metric/inferial discussions. It's often touted as proof that the USA adopted the metric system. It isn't of course, but inferial apologists aren't very logical. The USA has legalized the use of the metric system but has yet to make it the required system in everyday trade.

It only makes sense to define inferial standards in terms of metric. Metric standards are thoroughly researched, readily reproducible (except for mass), and their relationships rigorously detailed. Establishing inferial standards to that level would be terribly expensive, not to mention exposing the illogical mess they comprise.

[Jon]

A rare clever measurement from a mainstream weather news report. Kinda dumb on its face, but this is probably much more helpful to most people than something like "15 mph winds".

[mklotz]

Great, trash can speed units can join football fields for area and olympic swimming pools for volumes in the lexicon of units dumbed down for the ever dumber public.

Other often heard dumbed down units include:

height: Empire state buildings
weight: elephants
power: volts (they think "watt" is an interrogative)

[Jon]

When France switched to the meter in 1796, the government placed 16 of these metre displays around Paris.

Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...r_fullsize.jpg

[Savage11]

There are two types of countries, those who use the metric system and one who put a man on the moon!

[Priemsy]

The same country that crashed a probe because they used their measurement system and not metric.

[nhengineer]

The same country that crashed a probe because they used their measurement system and not metric.

I remain amazed how some folks have taken the metric system of measurements as their GOD, believing it is the only true measure standard. The fact is, it is just another arbitrary way of measuring stuff not much unlike cubits - only newer.

[mklotz]

There are two types of countries, those who use the metric system and one who put a man on the moon!

Obviously your nationalism is clouding your understanding of measurement systems. I recommend you read my treatise on the subject here...

A glimmer of hope

and pay special attention to the following paragraph...

Another argument to avoid is the "we put a man on the moon using..." farce. Everything was built using the measurement system in force at the time. The ancient Egyptians built the pyramids using the cubit (and had problems with multiple, competing definitions) but that's not an argument for returning to their system. If you doubt me, try working a problem using Egyptian fractions. Building achievements are the product of the genius of their designers and fabricators, not the markings on their rulers, scales and buckets. The fact that you managed to build a corral for your dinosaur using the inferial* system is not a valid argument against the use of the metric system.

[high-side]

Freedom Units