Thanks, Joe.
Australia had a brilliant inspirational campaign in its metrication
program---postage stamps that illustrated metric paradigms (1 g is the
weight of a paper clip, etc.).
"Joseph B. Reid" wrote:
>
> Paul Trusten in USMA 14205 wrote:
>
> >When I last asked my father about his feelings towards the US changing
> >over to the metric system, his answer boiled down to four words which, I
> >believe, are shared by the working world in all areas of the world
> >recovering from non-SI usage: "I couldn't be bothered".
>
> >Yes, I think my Dad is right. They couldn't be bothered. Those of us on
> >this listserv see a standard of measurement as something that is enacted
> >by law and regulation. But the people who measure things, design
> >signage, and write packaging, see their standard of measurement as
> >whatever is familiar to them, not by law and regulation, but by
> >education and experience. This is why I must insist that national
> >inspiration be the first step in the changeover to SI in the United
> >States. We need to make our people care. By a blast of inspiration, we
> >must first move them to change their knowledge and experience before the
> >next step, formal education, begins.
>
> Australian experience bears out Paul's thoughts. The Metric Conversioin
> Board's report of May 1979 said:
> "The Board considered it axiomatic that, in the main, the familiarization
> wih and learning the elemnets of the metric system would be achieved by
> exposure to an increasingly metric environment: that is, learning by
> *experience*. This was judged better than endeavouring to teach the public
> by means of an educational campaign. In areas such as industry where a
> knowledge of specific metric units was required, the necessary information
> was provided largely by in-house courses, but this was not as significant
> an aspect of the implementation of programs as learning by exposure. With
> that in view, the Board gave priority to:
>
> (i) Education.....
>
> (ii) Technical standards.......
>
> (iii) Legislation....
>
> . (iv) Activities which would have broad public impact, without
> ... ... introducing an element of disadvantage, to provide
> early ... .... exposure of the public to the metric system,
> e.g. horse .... .... racing, sporting events
> and reporting of temperatures and .... rainfall."
>
> Joseph B. Reid
> 17 Glebe Road West
> Toronto M5P 1C8 Tel. 416 486-6071
--
Paul Trusten, R.Ph.
3609 Caldera Boulevard, Apt. 122
Midland TX 79707-2872 USA
(915)-694-6208
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
