Bridget. My take is that the article is an attempt to answer a question
and NOT an attempt to persuade readers one way or the other. The article
leaves readers with some insightful analysis about the thinking of some
Americans and why they are opposed to metrication. If the USMA wants to be
successful in bringing about United States metrication, then we must
understand the mind set of those we want to convince otherwise. David
Pearl 503-428-4917 www.MetricPioneer.com
----- Message from "[email protected]" <[email protected]> ---------
Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 17:00:15 -0600
From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Reply-To: [email protected]
Subject: [USMA:54505] Re: Time Magazine Article in Favor of Metric
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Cc: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>, USMA Column --
Don Hillger <[email protected]>, Gary Brown <[email protected]>,
Lorelle Young <[email protected]>, Valerie Antoine
<[email protected]>
I don't understand why you guys consider this a positive article?
It's conclusion: "Is global uniformity a good thing? Not when it comes
to cultural issues, and customary measures are certainly a part of our
national culture. But to have brains trained in the thirds, quarters,
sixths, eighths, and twelfths of our inches and ounces, as well as the
relentless decimals of the metric system can only be beneficial, in the
same way that learning a second language is better than knowing only
one. That ours is a dual-measurement country is part of our great
diversity."
As it relates to K-12 science (including medicine) education, he is
completely wrong! It's like a teacher switching between English and
French during a lesson when the students only speaks English. Because
most students do not intuitively think in SI units they are converting
in their heads if not also on paper. (another foreign language analogy,
it's the difference between thinking in a foreign language or thinking
in your "native" language and translating the thought into the foreign
language). For those of you in the Education, we know all about working
memory. Per Harvard's Mind, Brain and Education department, a child's
working memory is the number one predictor of academic success. How much
working memory is utilized mentally converting measurement units, add on
a layers of topic complexity and number of new and unfamiliar content
specific vocabulary words and most kids do not have the capacity. This
line of thinking reminded me of an old UK editorial I once read in a
publication I think is like the
Onion-
http://www.dailyshame.co.uk/2013/01/satire/children-must-all-learn-imperial-measurements-as-well-as-evacuation-procedures/
And don't get me started on preventable medication errors!
Dual-measurement is not part of our great diversity; it's a negative
cultural legacy about as useful as Roman numerals in a modern world.
Bridget
Sent from my iPad
On Dec 15, 2014, at 3:35 PM, [email protected] wrote:
I notice one error in third paragraph. The article says "75-milliliter
bottles" but it should be 750; perhaps it is only a typo or perhaps
John Bemelmans Marciano meant to say 75 centiliters because that is
equal to 750 milliliters. Look at a wine or liquor bottle. It clearly
says 750 mL usually via raised characters on the glass itself if not on
label. Apart from that, I fully agree with sentiment Martin expresses.
David Pearl 503-428-4917 www.MetricPioneer.com[1]
----- Message from [email protected] ---------
Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 12:41:02 -0800 (PST)
From: [email protected]
Reply-To: Martin Morrison <[email protected]>
Subject: [USMA:54503] Time Magazine Article in Favor of Metric
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Cc: USMA Column -- Don Hillger <[email protected]>,
Gary
Brown <[email protected]>, Lorelle Young <[email protected]>, Valerie
Antoine <[email protected]>
http://time.com/3633514/why-wont-america-go-metric/
This is the kind of article that we need more of. The author wrote a
book on the history of the metric system. What we in the USMA need to
imitate more is the statement:
"The United States is metric, or at least more metric than most of us
realize."
This is the point. We should stop wringing our hands that the U.S. is
not metric, "one of three countries in the world that are not
metricated," as the newspapers always get wrong. No, the U.S. is on a
path of conversion that is about 50 per cent completed. There are
many other countries on this same path, like Canada and Great Britain,
but for some strange reason these countries are never termed
"non-metric" as the U.S. always is. No, we're not.
The USMA needs to carry the positive message that the U.S. is metric
-- by law and by convention, at least half way, if not yet completely
so. No one advocates a return to grains and ounces of alcohol. Once
a conversion is made for a particularly commodity, no one wants to go
back.
Martin MorrisonUSMA Columnist
----- End message from [email protected] -----
----- End message from "[email protected]" <[email protected]> -----
Links:
------
[1] http://www.MetricPioneer.com
