Doug wrote:
>
> I do not want to put my foot in it, but hasn't this thread gone the
> distance? I am not sure if there is any mileage left in it. I certainly do
> not want to make a rod for my own back, or indeed be the weakest link in the
> chain, but now that I have done my twitterring, I'll get down from my perch.
Hi All!
Well said, and I agree in principle, but would nevertheless like to add
a few observations.
Most systems of measurement have evolved 'by themselves' and have
reached 'standard' status on common consent and the need for a common
system.
But how long is an inch? Last week I saw a list containing 12
definitions of inches, swedish, danish, british, spanish, french and so
on.
On the other hand, the metric system has the favor of being designed
with the goal to create a global standard, for all kinds of measurement,
and linked to each other (e g a cube with the side of 0.1 meter holds 1
liter of water which weighs 1000 grammes or 1 kg (roughly, at sea
level)). The system is related to our globe, 1 meter is designed to be
1/40 000 000 of the circumference at the equator.
Another parallell: In Sweden, we had left-hand traffic before, as in the
UK today.
In 1955, the swedes voted against changing to right-hand traffic in a
national referendum.
However, the government eventually decided to change anyway, and we
switched to right-hand traffic on september 3 1967. Today it could not
have been done, and no one is sorry that we changed.
Regards, Mats.E
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