> I've attempted to give a general idea on this several times. It's a lot to
> ask for a definitive list of everything. Try doing the same for the USA and
> see how complex and time consuming it all is.
>
> Phil Hall
Dear Phil,
My attempt to do just this is called 'Don't use metric!' See http://metricationmatters.com
In this I tried to describe a normal person's daily life in the USA as best I understand it.
My conclusion was that the USA is substantially metric right now, but that few are prepared to admit to their use of the metric system. As you know I have referred to this as 'Hidden metric' or as, 'Dumbing down at the door'. I think that the refusal of many people to make an admission that they are using the metric system everyday is essentially for social reasons and not for technical reasons.
I suspect that the same is true of the UK; that is that most people use direct metric measures or hidden metric measures for almost everything they do -- but they choose not to tell their friends about it, or to discuss it with their neighbours. Again, I think that their reasons are based on social and moral considerations.
Don't forget that to use an inch is to use hidden metric units because 1 inch is defined as exactly 25.4 millimetres in both the UK and the USA. The inch is the ultimate hidden metric!
I wonder if anyone would care to paraphrase my article to illustrate how the old pre-metric measures dominate the lives of UK citizens. I, personally, don't think that I could do this -- the UK is far too metric already to consider it as a nation where imperial measures predominate.
And, I'm happy to say, after visiting the USA from March to May this year, I believe that the USA is also rapidly travelling in the same direction.
To paraphrase Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary International:
What surface disturbances are to a river, the old pre-metric measures are to the life of the UK and the USA. The great metric current goes on undisturbed.
Cheers,
Pat Naughtin ASM (NSAA), LCAMS (USMA)*
PO Box 305, Belmont, Geelong, Australia
Phone 61 3 5241 2008
Pat Naughtin is the editor of the free online monthly newsletter, 'Metrication matters'.
You can subscribe by going to http://www.metricationmatters.com/newsletter
* Pat is the editor of the 'Numbers and measurement' chapter of the Australian Government Publishing Service 'Style manual – for writers, editors and printers', he is an Accredited Speaking Member (ASM) with the National Speakers Association of Australia, and a Lifetime Certified Advanced Metrication Specialist (LCAMS) with the United States Metric Association. For more information go to: http://metricationmatters.com
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