Mini Milestone

[06YarisRS]

Originally Posted by NYC-SE

Yes. That was one of the stupidest decisions we have ever made. I was in grade school then. I remember being taught in metric. There were articles in newspapers and magazines explaining it. TV news, etc. I remember driving to Texas (well riding, my Dad was driving) and stopping for gas in Arkansas of all places and the pumps were denominated in liters! Then all of a sudden, poof...all gone. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

I was an engineering major in college. All the true science courses are taught in metric units. All the applied science and engineering courses are taught in US measurements. It is still this way today. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I work on ships. If I'm working on a US built ship all the measurements are given in US units. If I'm working on a foreign built ship all the units are metric. Some typical scenarios: US ship in foreign shipyard, installation of US designed equipment on foreign ship or visa versa. Pain in the A$$.

There are economic and safety consequences of this too. US workers need 2 sets of tools. Design work has to be done twice, etc. Also it is not uncommon for mistakes to be made when converting from one set of units to the other, especially on very precise measurements. Don't forget that the Challenger explosion was caused by faulty O-rings. Those O-rings were designed in metric units and built in US units. There was an error in the transposition. This sort of thing is not uncommon, although it is rarely deadly.

And the stupid thing is metric is so EASY. Yes if you've never been exposed to it it seems strange at first but you can pick it up quickly. Can you count to 10? Yes? Congratulations you are an expert in the metric system.

Come on America we can do it. Take the plunge and join the rest of the world. It is necessary. Seriously I will vote for any candidate who promises to put us on the metric system regardless of how appalling they may be in other aspects.

Do you know the story of the Gimli Glider?

[NYC-SE]

Originally Posted by 06YarisRS

Do you know the story of the Gimli Glider?

No I did not but I looked it up and yes my point exactly. Reminds me of fueling US ships in foreign ports. Purchased in metric tonnes at a certain temperature in degrees C. Put into a tank calibrated at either US gallons or US long or short tons, with a thermometer attached reading degrees F. What could possibly go wrong? Fortunately nothing ever on my watch. But it has happened.