The success of the Australian metrication program of the 1970s was
helped considerably by the decimalization of that nation's currency in
1966. The changeover to decimal in that arena set the stage for the
decimalization of Australian measurement. I was there---Australia is a
metric land, in word and deed. So, we in the U.S. have had decimal
currency since 1792. We sure take it for granted. Maybe we should have a
demonstration roundtable here, and let a few people try to live
with--let's call them--dollars, "ounces," and pence, for a few days.
Hey, if weare supposed to like WOMBAT measurement that much, let's drop
the decimal dollar, and adopt the old British or Australian arrangement
of currency (grin). And, i also have a nice bridge over the Mystic
River in Boston I that I want to sell on eBay.
Paul
Nat Hager III wrote:
This sounds like solving the Schrödinger wave equation to calculate
electron orbitals! Are £123 6s 4d and £123 6s 8d separate spin states?
Do they follow Fermi exclusion principle?
I'll take good 'ol metric dollars and cents and day!
<g>
Nat
------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of Martin Vlietstra
Sent: Saturday, 2007 May 12 8:26
To: U.S. Metric Association
Subject: [USMA:38659] RE: Reaction to the Telegraph
It is quite easy to calculate mentally how many times 6s 8d go into
£123 9s 9d - the answer is 370 times with a remainder of 3s 1d.
However 6s 4d is not so easy - after all 6s 8d is exactly one third of
a £ while 6s 4d is not a sub-multiple of a £). I suspect that
somebody had a dim memory of this short-cut from their school days,
but the memory was so dim that they got confused between 3s 4d (one
sixth of a £) and 6s 8d (one third of a £).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of Han Maenen
Sent: 12 May 2007 09:52
To: U.S. Metric Association
Subject: [USMA:38658] Reaction to the Telegraph
My reaction sent to the Telegraph on the article Stone me!...:
A.C. Sherman: "Hurrah for Imperial Measures! Why is it that we always
seem to have to adopt continental ideas and they never adopt ours?"
Not true whatsoever. We have adopted English as the global language of
communication; English is a mandatory examination subject in all
post-primary schools in mainland Europe. It is even taught in primary
schools here.
The continentals never accepting anything British.. It's exactly the
other way around! You mean of course, that the continent should adopt
the English language AND the Imperial system! As for me, the second
part, no way, never, ever. I am a proud user of the metric system. And
I like to use metric units of British origine like the watt, the
joule, the kelvin, the volt, etc. I honour and acknowledge the
priceless contributions made to metric by UK and US scientists.
Last but not least, someone should explain to me how it is possble to
calculate mentally how often 6s 4d go into £123 9s 9d?
--
Paul Trusten, R.Ph.
Public Relations Director
U.S. Metric Association, Inc.
www.metric.org
3609 Caldera Blvd., Apt. 122
Midland TX 79707-2872 USA
+1(432)528-7724
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
