Don't confuse the decimal system and the SI. One can still have a half litre (1/2 L) in SI and 1/2 is not decimal.
The decimal system (base ten) is based on our ten fingers and ten toes. The octal system (base eight) is based on the binary system (base two) which is more efficient for computer storage and avoids rounding problems which the decimal system has when computers are used. Regards, Stan Doore ----- Original Message ----- From: Martin Vlietstra To: U.S. Metric Association Sent: Saturday, May 12, 2007 11:01 AM Subject: [USMA:38664] RE: Reaction to the Telegraph You are right! Why else would there have been two coins in circulation, one with a value of 2s (one tenth of a £) and the other 2s 6d (one eight of a £). Britain adopted the decimal system of coinage just as the computer revolution was starting - although I never did it, it would have been hell writing programs that added pounds shillings and pence, especially when every computer system in the world provided facilities to do so using decimal numbers only. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Linda D. Bergeron Sent: 12 May 2007 15:42 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:38662] RE: Reaction to the Telegraph It still sounds like the wave equation would be easier to work with;-) Linda ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Pierre Abbat <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> Subject: [USMA:38661] RE: Reaction to the Telegraph Date: Sat, 12 May 2007 10:16:34 -0400 On Saturday 12 May 2007 09:12, 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? There's a "p" missing - because it wasn't invented yet. s is the shilling, p the new penny, d the old penny, and f the farthing. ;) Pierre ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PC Magazine's 2007 editors' choice for best Web mail-award-winning Windows Live Hotmail.
