Dear All, As you know some engineers, mathematicians, and scientists (too many of them) actively discourage the use of the metric system in favour of the muddle of old-pre metric measuring words. For example, I think it was Remek Kocz who reported that he had to do engineering design calculations for his college lecturer using old measuring methods.
Yesterday, I was reading Dorothy Rowe's book, "Why We Lie". Dorothy Rowe is a psychologist who tries to understand why we do the things we do. I recommend her many books to you especially this one. As I read I discovered these two quotations from a psychologist's viewpoint that might be relevant to the issue of anti-metric engineers, mathematicians, and scientists. Quotations From page 64 My husband, who had a somewhat tangential relationship with truth, used to say that you should never let the facts stand in the way of a good story. He could have said the same about any theory on which a scientist has staked his identity. Abandoning a theory on which you have built your career and reputation with your peers will threaten your sense of being a person, and so you are likely to deny the evidence that shows your theory to be wrong. From page 116 However, lying words are used in great abundance in the professions. Because professionals are supposed to be experts, non-professionals assume that the words used by professionals must be truthful, when in fact professionals can use them to deceive. Often the professionals themselves do not realize that they are doing this. To them they are using the language of their profession, and, since the theories they have learnt must be true, so the words they use must be true. To become a member of a profession you have to pass qualifying examinations where you are tested on your knowledge of the theory, practice, and language of the profession. Completing this can take many years and a great deal of hard work. We all hate that feeling of having wasted our time, and so, once they are qualified, many professionals are very reluctant to let themselves see when they use their professional language to deceive. Amongst themselves, they argue the finer points of theory or the value of a particular piece of research, but they cannot bear to allow themselves to see the untruths in what they do. Thus they deceive others, and they deceive themselves. Cheers, Pat Naughtin LCAMS 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 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.
