The last time I was up in Ontario I again realized how nice it was for the
tenths digit on the odometer to actually MEAN something, namely increments
of 100m. As Amercians we don't try to do that, since the relation between
feet and miles is too complicated we just think "it can't be done" and let
it go at that.
But we sure don't want that ferrin' metric stuff! <g>
Nat
> the calculator and, more to the point,
> calculating scales and
> prepackaged meats, had rendered the arithmetical
> edge irrelevant.
This is odd, since personally I (and most people)
always try to do things in my head if possible (a
calculator isn't always to hand), and the metric
system makes this so much easier. Maybe Americans
don't calculate weights and measures in their heads
because they have to do it in ifp. Also, in the case
of the weighing scales, humans were never able to
weigh things without an aid anyway, so the
"arithmetical edge" was irrelevant.
