Pat, I can't accept that Boeing's problems are metric related. That sounds so far fetched.
Why would they have to train the Chinese anyway to use inches? They could provide them with metric schematics if need be. If an inch drawing has a particular dimension as 4.860 inches, there is no reason they can't have that dimension stated as 123.456 for the Chinese or anyone else who would want it or need it. With modern CAD systems, changing units on drawings is a cinch. Even though pre-metric units may not be a system, millions will still think of it as one and will continue to call it the English System. Since you live in Australia and Australia is fully metric, then what effect does America's lack of metric have on your daily life? If I were in your shoes I wouldn't worry about what some country at the other side of the world is doing. Just curious! Jerry ________________________________ From: Pat Naughtin <[email protected]> To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> Cc: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2009 4:29:40 PM Subject: [USMA:42560] Re: A thin veneer of dishonesty Dear Mike, I have heard a rumor that Boeing are moving their manufacturing back to the USA so that they do not have to train people to use the old pre-metric measures. However, they still have two issues to face. Firstly, the old pre-metric measures are not a system; they are simply a random collection based on many different arts, crafts, and professions collected over random times through history. The first and only system for measurement was the one described by John Wilkins in 1668 for a 'universal measure' that evolved into the metric system. In fact, the name metre and the adjective metric come from the translation of John Wilkins, 'universal measure' into the Italian (Latin) 'metro cattolico' by Burattini in 1675. This one page sheet should show you the first problem that Boeing must resolve: http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/SIMetricUnitsVsUSAMeasures.pdf The second problem that Boeing must solve is the attempt to retrofit the random collection of old pre-metric measures with the decimal property from the metric system. This attempt at reverse engineering is in line with previous attempts to somehow form the old rag-tag collection into a system. I recall failed attempts such as the foot-pound-second, foot-poundal-second, and the foot-slug-second where these so-called 'systems' only covered a very limited group of physical properties that were only used in some branches of physics and engineering. They were never intended to be used in other areas such as medicine, chemistry, or commerce. However, it is the decimalisation issue that Boeing must face. See http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/USADecimalisationAndMetrication.pdf for some thoughts on this. Personally, I don't think that they will ever succeed with this decimalisation as they don't have the advantage of the prefix component of the metric system first suggested by Prieur in France and then developed by the Dutchman, Van Swinden. Basically, I think that all attempts at hiding the metric system from the public will fail (my initial email is at the bottom of this post). Metrication is inevitable and our only decision is whether we will adopt the metric system quickly, smoothly, and economically, or whether we will choose a path that is painfully slow, bitterly fought, and extremely expensive. Cheers, Pat Naughtin Geelong, Australia On 2009/01/26, at 3:42 AM, Michael Payne wrote: The ones I know about that actually sell products made to metric dimensions here in the US are the 3 US Automakers, GM, Ford & Chrysler, John Deere and Caterpillar Earthmoving equipment, the latter even buy sheet steel to millimeter thickness here in the US so they can get the same steel worldwide. I'm sure there are many more, all the foreign automakers who set up factories here in the US are totally metric. If you want to sell something worldwide you have to make it with metric nuts and bolts or you'll never get a repeat customer. Boeing uses decimal inches and I've heard of problems they've had getting work done in China because they had to teach the Chinese what an inch was. Mike Payne ----- Original Message ----- From: Jeremiah MacGregor To: U.S. Metric Association Sent: Sunday, 25 January 2009 05:36 Subject: [USMA:42485] Re: A thin veneer of dishonesty Bill, So how many American companies out there are making products in metric in secret then dumbing them down for the public? Are statistics like this available somewhere? Jerry ________________________________ From: Bill Potts <[email protected]> To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2009 2:48:07 PM Subject: [USMA:42463] Re: A thin veneer of dishonesty Jerry: They design and built in metric because it's more economical and is a worldwide standard. Many of them (e.g., Ford, GM) have overseas subsidiaries, too. They advertise in metric because they apparently believe it's necessary to dumb things down for the American public. What they don't realize is that, if there were a dumb person who knew neither SI metric nor US Customary, it would be easier to teach him/her the former. Bill ________________________________ Bill Potts WFP Consulting Roseville, CA http://metric1.org [SI Navigator] ________________________________ From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] on Behalf Of Jeremiah MacGregor Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2009 10:13 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:42451] Re: A thin veneer of dishonesty Pat, Are you sure about all this metric being used in the USA? Why would a company go to the bother of using metric units in production just to hide them from other companies and the public? Where do you get your information? Jerry ________________________________ From: Pat Naughtin <[email protected]> To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> Cc: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2009 5:01:37 PM Subject: [USMA:42408] A thin veneer of dishonesty On 2009/01/23, at 7:55 AM, STANLEY DOORE wrote: During the 1970s, the NOAA National Weather Service planned to make conversion to the SI and to begin purchasing observation sensors and readouts in metric. So the NWS is ready to convert to metric in the public arena when The Congress and the President desire. Weather forecasts have been computed in metric since the late 1950s so changes in output need to be made for presentation to the public. Aviation uses metric in international aviation now. Going metric in weather, including satellite images, would simplify and streamline the whole operation. The weather information system is ready to go metric. Stan Doore Dear Stan, The more I look at metrication in the USA the more I see that the USA is now so substantially metric that all that remains is to remove the thin veneer of dishonesty. Let me give some example. I will start with yours. 1The NOAA National Weather Service now collects, records, and calculates using SI metric units, then reports to the public in old pre-metric measures. 2Nasa designs builds and flies spacecraft using metric units for measurement and then reports their successes or failures in old pre-metric measures for the public. 3All cars, trucks, tractors, and motor bikes are designed and constructed using all metric units then the tyre pressure, the speedometer, and the odometer are then dumbed down to psi, mph, and ml. 4Computers have their circuits, cases, and screens designed and made using nanometres, micrometres, and millimetres and then they are not only sold as the 17" model but software default settings are provided in inches that are subdivided in halves, quarters, and eighths of inches. 5International trade is carried out using the International System of Units (SI) because that is the only way to deal with all other nations. Then the market figures are dumbed down for the citizens of the USA to old measures such as barrels with variable capacity and constructions such as MMBThUpmon (million million British Thermal Units per month). 6Much military training in the USA is designed and presented using metric units because military hardware is increasingly all metric and military personnel serve in nations outside the USA that have already upgraded to the metric system many years ago. 7All medical services are soundly based on body measurements and test results that use the metric system. The dishonest people actively seek to change the mass of babies from grams to pounds, ounces, and fractions of ounces, and to change millilitres of treatment into teaspoons and dessertspoons. 8Last, but not least, almost all length measuring is done using the metric inch (of exactly 25.4 millimetres), the metric foot (of exactly 304.8 millimetres) and the metric mile (of exactly 1609.344 metres). Meanwhile, almost all mass measurements are carried out using the metric pound (of exactly 453.5924 grams). Basically the USA is — right now — almost all metric but some citizens choose to hide this fact from themselves using techniques that are basically dishonest. The sad part of this thin veneer of dishonesty is the cost to all citizens in the USA, see the article, Costs of non-metrication in the USA at http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/CostOfNonMetrication.pdf Cheers, Pat Naughtin PO Box 305 Belmont 3216, Geelong, Australia Phone: 61 3 5241 2008 Metric system consultant, writer, and speaker, Pat Naughtin, has helped thousands of people and hundreds of companies upgrade to the modern metric system smoothly, quickly, and so economically that they now save thousands each year when buying, processing, or selling for their businesses. Pat provides services and resources for many different trades, crafts, and professions for commercial, industrial and government metrication leaders in Asia, Europe, and in the USA. Pat's clients include the Australian Government, Google, NASA, NIST, and the metric associations of Canada, the UK, and the USA. See http://www.metricationmatters.com for more metrication information, contact Pat at [email protected] or to get the free 'Metrication matters' newsletter go to: http://www.metricationmatters.com/newsletter to subscribe.
