Hmmmmmmm

[cabinetman]

I'm just used to feet, inches, and fractions. No problems figuring from that.
.

[atgcpaul]

Being from Burma and knowing how backwards that country is, I can
understand why they're still on Imperial.

Working in science makes metric comes pretty easily. While it's easy for me
to measure out 1mg of a powder, I couldn't imagine doing the same thing to
get 3.53e-5 ounces.

One handy thing I learned from Alton Brown on the Food Network is
"A pint is a pound the world around." This is helpful in figuring out the weights
of liquids measured in ounces or quarts. In metric, 1L=1kg (of water at 4C).

Here's a puzzler. When you fill out the FedEx shipping form online, you enter the weight of the package in pounds. Sometimes, if I'm sending samples in
dry ice, I also enter the weight of the dry ice in pounds. When you print out
the shipping label, the dry ice weight is converted to kilograms--even for
domestic shipments.

[crokett]

Paul, probably FedEx shipping system uses metric because it is easier to maintain one system world wide. So rather than maintain a system for imperial measurements in the US, they show you the web page in lbs and convert behind the scenes. I worked on a project with my dad a while back where he was writing control code for some HVAC equipment. The user interface was in degrees F, but the existing system was in degrees C. That was because the vendor sold world-wide.

[phrog]

Just looking at the OP's original map, I'd say the world is really way behind in converting to our system !

[Kristofor]

Also it was pounded into me head at the time that I should really try and do at least some of the calcs before i leave an experimental setup... never to be repeated (at least for me).

It might be better now, but the undergrad physics labs (unlike the chem or bio labs) seemed to have equipment that could just barely approximate something that looked sort-of, kind-of, a little bit like any ideal physics system. I'm pretty sure they ground flats on all of the marbles/spheres, used lock-tite on the equipment bearings, roughed up the frictionless planes, etc.

For many of these labs I found it easier to do it the other (wrong) way around. Do the basic measurements and calcs first to know what the answer was supposed to be, then do the lab as many times as it takes to either cluster around the right value, or get lucky with a close one off the bat. Not good science, but then I'm not a scientist.

[jkristia]

I moved to US from Europe 12 years ago, and I still have a hard time with the temperature and volumne measurements (except for gallons and mpg of course), whereas distance (miles, feet, inches and fractional inches) never really caused me any problems.

But for temperatur, that I still need to convert, even after 12 years, wonder if I will ever learn.

Of, and the fluid ounces !!! ... that one I will definitely never learn.

If only 'you' would convert to a system I can understand

Jesper

[Stytooner]

Okay, where I live, it is hot in the summer. Numbers really don't matter. Humidity hovers near the 100% mark. % is the same in metric or US measure. Wet. Dripping wet.
Cool in the winter. This year was below normal but normally just cool. So numbers are just about that around here. Kind of irrelevant.

[scmhogg]

When I was in the UK 15 years ago, there was a lot of grumbling about the metric system. They were starting to enforce the metric requirement, even in the weekly farmers markets in the villages.

In the US, we learned a lot about metrics in the 60's and 70's. Lots of Kilos and Grams during those years.

Steve

[gjat]

When I was in the UK 15 years ago, there was a lot of grumbling about the metric system. They were starting to enforce the metric requirement, even in the weekly farmers markets in the villages.

Steve

when I was in England about 10 years ago, I was asked to translate inches from cm(?) in a clothing store by an ederly customer. He said "Since you Yanks are so clever, what's the 'f****g' size on these bloody belts?" I said "I'm not clever enough for that, just try the sodding thing on." My FIL almost wet his pants.