On 2010/07/09, at 02:36 , [email protected] wrote:
In other words, how fully metric a country is, from completely
metric with no old units ever used by anyone, to essentially old
units only with only a bit of metric used. The indication would be
useful if it sensed what the average person does and says in
conversation, as it is assumed that scientists and others behind the
scenes use metric. In that regard the USA would be quite to one side.
Carleton
Dear Carleton and All,
It seems to me that all attempts at development of measuring methods
have always contained a large drive toward honesty. Examples include
all of the Biblical references to measurement, the Magna Carta, John
Wilkins 'univeral measure' that became the metric system, Thomas
Jefferson's decimal measures report to Congress in 1790, the French
'decimal metric system' of 1790 (later than Jefferson), and the CGPM
International System of Units (SI) in 1960. See http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/MetricationTimeline.pdf
and search for any of the above words.
And, at the same time as these moves toward honesty were taking place,
there were also resistance to any better measuring methods by those
who, for whatever reasons, favored or support dishonesty. Examples
include 'pints' of beer in the UK served in portions of 500
millilitres with a head of froth to fit into a nominal pint glass if
filled to the brim, oil purportedly measured in 'barrels' that never
existed to make it difficult to compare crude oil prices to be
compared with pump prices, shoe sizes, bra sizes, clothing sizes of
all kinds, etc. etc. etc. etc.
Overall there are people who support honesty who also support the
metric system.
And there are those who support dishonesty!
I suppose that a nation is truly metric when all transactions are
transparently honest.
Cheers,
Pat Naughtin
Author of the ebook, Metrication Leaders Guide, see
http://metricationmatters.com/MetricationLeadersGuideInfo.html
Hear Pat speak at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lshRAPvPZY
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
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and government metrication leaders in Asia, Europe, and in the USA.
Pat's clients include the Australian Government, Google, NASA, NIST,
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