Martin Morrison. I agree with what you say. But I find it a bit strange
that most people in this group still call it the Metric System, when we
really should be using the current name. The eleventh CGPM (Conférence
Générale des Poids et Mesures = General Conference on Weights and
Measures) in 1960 faced the question of what to call this new
reorganization and extension of measures. The name Metric System had
referred to the units for length and mass. What the CGPM had created was
much more comprehensive, and after some discussion, this new system was
called the International System of units or SI after its French initials.
For the first time, the world had not merely universal units, but a
universal system of units. The Metric System became the International
System the same year I was born, 1960, and after 54 years, you still refer
to SI by its old name. It is beyond me! Does anyone want to justify using
the old name?
----- Message from [email protected] ---------
Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2014 12:44:54 -0700 (PDT)
From: [email protected]
Reply-To: [email protected]
Subject: [USMA:54351] Re: Good Question: Why are speed limits posted in
kilometers?
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
"Typically, we don't see the metric system in use here in the U.S."
This statement in the article indicates why we need to do a much better
job of public education and stop talking about "converting" to the
metric system and instead talking about "completing" metrication.
The metric system is already 50% here. It is used in medicine,
pharmacy, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, light bulbs, power,
radioactivity, and many other industries, while it is making headroads
into other industries like food, where new products are often hard-sized
to metric quantities.
I argue that the U.S. is no more "non-metric" than Canada and England,
for example, which countries have not completed their metrication
either. Let's stop talking about the U.S. being the only non-metric
country in the world along with two unknown little countries. We're on
the way to complete metrication, just like certain other countries that
haven't gotten there yet.
Martin Morrison
"Metric Today" Columnist
============
On Mon, 1 Sep 2014, [email protected] wrote:
Good Question: Why are speed limits posted in kilometers?
http://www.nbc-2.com/story/24077659/good-question-why-are-speed-limits-posted-in-kilometers
----- End message from [email protected] -----
