Why hasn't 'Mercuh gone metric?

[mik]

Prompted by @SSO 's latest (guest) blog on the SCG004S (and maybe Mr Owner is best placed to provide insights as a 'Mercun who has lived on the other side of the Atlantic)….

I am very comfortable with miles, mpg, mph etc. The satnav telling me how many yards it is to my next junction is hateful though, and having spent plenty of time in Europeland I wouldn't have any issue switching to km, kph, and kpl (I have a special hatred for consumption measured in the STOOPID l/100km or kwh/100km).

I do like a pint, but could accept 500ml instead, and I know my weight in kg. It is slightlytoomuch kg. Exactly.

Other than a few anomalies, the UK is pretty much there with decimal though (waits for a list of all the anomalies to disprove this), but 'Mercuh still doggedly holds on to imperial measurements for everyshizzle. Why haven't they changed? When metric is infinitely more logical and easy to work with (for addition, multiplication etc etc). Is it a constitutional right or something? Or the US are just so inwardly focussed, there hasn't been a "need" to align with ROW?

[dinny_g]

If Ireland can switch to Km's and Kph, literally anyone can, including the Americans.

I'm guessing it's that "Inward focus" point

[Rich B]

It's a pretty massive job though - even if you just look at stuff like manufacturing and construction. Every tool, machine, fixing, standard, etc would all need to change from the factory to the end user. I expect they just thought - fuck that.

[Brannen]

I don't think I'd have any problems switching over. It would probably take a little bit to get used to for stuff like speed limits etc, but doable. I tend to use metric for my limited use cases, KGs for weight etc. Distance / measurements make more sense in metric to me as well.

The one I really struggle to understand is Fahrenheit (not that we use it here). Whenever I hear it from an American on YouTube etc, I've got no idea what it means in Celsius.

Do Americans use any metric measurements? Probably a tall order to relearn everything from scratch.

[Nefarious]

People get bizarrely and disproportionately upset about changing, as if the units we measure things in is critical to their very identities. Look at the metric martyrs in the 70s - measuring in pounds and ounces became a point of crystallidation for all people's fears over closer ties with Europe (and their underlying xenophobia). Who is going to instigate such a change and incur the wrath of large numbers of the voting public for little tangible benefit?

As an aside, I will speak up in the name of imperial measurement in an engineering context. Base 10 might multiply nicely, but base 16 divides a lot better. Personally, I find it easier to intuitively visualise things halving and halving (or doubling and doubling) than decreasing/increasing by a factor of 10.

As a further aside, I was pondering this the other night, and if you had to design it all again with a clean sheet of paper, and you could assume modern levels of numeracy, then I think base 12 would be a pretty good option (multiplies and divides in 2 *and* 3s).

[Mito Man]

I don't think I'd have any problems switching over. It would probably take a little bit to get used to for stuff like speed limits etc, but doable. I tend to use metric for my limited use cases, KGs for weight etc. Distance / measurements make more sense in metric to me as well.

The one I really struggle to understand is Fahrenheit (not that we use it here). Whenever I hear it from an American on YouTube etc, I've got no idea what it means in Celsius.

Do Americans use any metric measurements? Probably a tall order to relearn everything from scratch.

They’ve started measuring engine capacity in litres

I quite like it though. It’s a bit like going to Spain and moaning that they don’t speak English etc. Part of the quirky culture and charm. Unlike another language it’s easy enough to convert too.

[Swervin_Mervin]

It's a pretty massive job though - even if you just look at stuff like manufacturing and construction. Every tool, machine, fixing, standard, etc would all need to change from the factory to the end user. I expect they just thought - fuck that.

And then there's the small issue of there being 335million people that would need to adapt to this new way of doing things. And is it really any easier? If you've grown up with Imperial then it will come very easily to you.

Whereas many of us grew up in a 50/50 environment. The Americans probably wonder how the hell we get by with a mix of Imperial/Metric.

Someone telling me their height in cm means absolutely nothing to me. I understand metric distances though, but mainly as it's fundamental to my job - I still have more instinct for what a mile is over a km though. And I'm fine with temperature in either C or F as I grew up with both. Weights of people? Stones please. But weights of food (e.g. flour)? That'll be in kg/g please. Same for fluids.

[Sundayjumper]

...and kpl (I have a special hatred for consumption measured in the STOOPID l/100km or kwh/100km).

Important but subtle difference in the meaning of the two - one is a measure of efficiency (work achieved per unit of input - kpl - higher is better), the other is consumption (input required per unit of output - l/100km - lower is better). One is just the inverse of the other of course.

[mik]

...and kpl (I have a special hatred for consumption measured in the STOOPID l/100km or kwh/100km).

Important but subtle difference in the meaning of the two - one is a measure of efficiency (work achieved per unit of input - kpl - higher is better), the other is consumption (input required per unit of output - l/100km - lower is better). One is just the inverse of the other of course.

I don’t have any issue with an inverse measure - it’s the addition of the “100” to make the output more “relatable” or some other bollocks. Why isn’t it l/50km? Or l/32km? If the output number doesn’t look “nice” - then use l/m (edit - that would make it worse wouldn’t it )

It’s stoopid.

[Sundayjumper]

Well, it's metric so it needs to be a power of ten (10, 100, 1000 etc), and ideally a power of 1000 to fit with SI units (that's the "k" in "km" )

Do you ever use centimetres ? Bad boy. Same thing. Factor of 100 instead of an SI-compliant 1000.

[Sundayjumper]

...then use l/m (edit - that would make it worse wouldn’t it )

How about microlitres per metre ? That's almost acceptable ?

[mik]

...then use l/m (edit - that would make it worse wouldn’t it )

How about microlitres per metre ? That's almost acceptable ?

That would at least be logical within the established system.

[Swervin_Mervin]

l/km surely? I'm with you on this though mik - seems a baffingly stupid measure of consumption.

[Sundayjumper]

l/km surely?

With l/km you end up with a very small number, e.g. 40mpg = 0.058 l/km

[mik]

l/km surely?

With l/km you end up with a very small number, e.g. 40mpg = 0.058 l/km

Automotive marketing team - “nobody can understand that”

Automotive Engineer - “What”?

Automotive marketing team - “it’s too hard. John Q Citizen just won’t know what to do with that. It’s less than one for goodness sake”

Automotive Engineer - “let’s just use km per litre then”

Automotive marketing team - “how about litres per 100km? That makes the output bigger than one!”

Automotive Engineer - “That’s ludicrous”

Automotive marketing team - “l/100km approved. Cigars and Moët for all!”

[Sundayjumper]

Yep. The pubic basically need a number between 0 and 10 for everything, or up to 100 if it’s something really complicated.

[mik]

Yep. The pubic basically need a number between 0 and 10 for everything, or up to 100 if it’s something really complicated.

The problem is that nearly 50% of the population are below the average intelligence level….

[Swervin_Mervin]

l/km surely?

With l/km you end up with a very small number, e.g. 40mpg = 0.058 l/km

Automotive marketing team - “nobody can understand that”

Automotive Engineer - “What”?

Automotive marketing team - “it’s too hard. John Q Citizen just won’t know what to do with that. It’s less than one for goodness sake”

Automotive Engineer - “let’s just use km per litre then”

Automotive marketing team - “how about litres per 100km? That makes the output bigger than one!”

Automotive Engineer - “That’s ludicrous”

Automotive marketing team - “l/100km approved. Cigars and Moët for all!”

And above all that - why not km/l? All people want to know really is how far they can go based on how much fuel they've just put in!

[mik]

why not km/l? All people want to know really is how far they can go based on how much fuel they've just put in!

I genuinely don’t know.

[Beany]

'Mercuh had enough difficulty accepting the results of a fucking election, can you imagine them having to deal with a change in broad scale measurement systems?

IT'S TYRANNY BLOCK THE ROADS etc