I sent this on the evening of the Seattle quake, Wednesday, February 28. Unfortunately I sent it to the Atlanta affiliate because the NPR web site referred me to the local affiliate. Perhaps I didn't try hard enough to search for the NPR email address. I don't know if subsequent news reports strayed farther from or closer to accuracy. I am not certain if the 60 km mentioned by Mr. Updike of USGS was the most accurate number or if it was revised by USGS later. Norm ----- Original Message ----- From: "Norman Werling" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: 2001February28 20:15 Subject: Lehrer News Hour > This evening at about 50 minutes after the hour, Randall Updike, U. S. > Geological Survey, was being interviewed by Gwenne about the earthquake in > Washington. > > Naturally he responded to a question about its intensity and pointed out > that the quake occurred about 60 kilometers below the surface, at which > point Gwenne interrupted him and asked if that was about 30 miles, whereupon > Mr. Updike corrected her to about 40 miles. > > I am ashamed that Americans still stubbornly resist the International System > of Units. We are part of only 4% to 5% of the world's population who still > cling to use of miles and we are failing to educate ourselves to use the > same measures as does the rest of the world. Obviously the USGS uses the > International System (SI-metric) as does any true scientific work anywhere. > American "laypeople" continue to stubbornly insist upon being babied with > conversions to the archaic, fraction-based so-called U. S. Customary (once > upon a time called Imperial) measures. > > It is time for us to grow up and move to 21st century measures especially > since most of the rest of the world adopted them into everyday life in the > 19th and 20th centuries. > > Norman Werling > Stone Mountain, GA 30083 >
