International Standards and Systems of Units

[beli]

For better or worse, English has become the language of the internet, and media in general. I often wonder if we need standards for terms of communication as well.

Differences that come to my mind:

* Metric measurement (eg kilos, centimetres, and celsius) in most of the world vs imperial measurement (stone, feet, and fahrenheit) in the USA

* Differences in numbering conventions eg a billion is a thousand million in the USA and a million million in Australia, etc. (Europe?)

* Dates displayed in Europe and Aus/NZ as dd/mm/yyyy, and in the USA as mm/dd/yyyy

* International paper size is A4 except for parts of the Americas where it is Legal or Letter. (I'm not sure which, my apologies)

Should we all use the same units of measurement to facilitate understanding?

If so, how do we choose which is to be the international standard?

 

[Do Miss America]

For better or worse, English has become the language of the internet, and media in general. I often wonder if we need standards for terms of communication as well.

Differences that come to my mind:

* Metric measurement (eg kilos and centimetres) in most of the world vs imperial measurement (feet and inches) in the USA

* Differences in numbering conventions eg a billion is a thousand million in the USA and a million million in Australia, etc. (Europe?)

* Dates displayed in Europe and Aus/NZ as dd/mm/yyyy, and in the USA as mm/dd/yyyy

* International paper size is A4 except for parts of the Americas where it is Legal or Letter. (I'm not sure which, my apologies)

Should we all use the same units of measurement to facilitate understanding?

If so, how do we choose which is to be the international standard?

Well they tried and issued a change here in the States back in the 70's to move to the metric in the school systems and it didn't take. I think people are too stuck in their ways or too arrogant, maybe a little bit of both.

 

[Macfistowannabe]

I don't mind learning about how Europe and the rest of the world do dates and measurements, but abandoning "mileage" as an automobile term might feel sort of like converting to a cult.

 

[Salome]

international standards stop at the borders of the USA ja

intergalactic standards
that's what we need

 

[NotAnEasyThing]

It's a good idea Beli, I don't know how many times I've gone to enter a date on an internet form only to have it reject because the month and day are around the wrong way.

 

[verte76]

They tried to introduce metric into the U.S. and it didn't work. We're too ingrained into our measurement pecularities to change. Of course when they tried that communication wasn't nearly as global. That could make a difference.

 

[kobayashi]

this is an issue for which corporations will find solutions when the costs of assymetric reference systems outweigh the costs of developing a unified standard.

at the same time, different populations are so set in their ways that it may be difficult to spur change.

 

[Dreadsox]

Kids understand metrics.....Its the adults who have to make the change here in the states.

I know teachers who do not teach it.

Its a shame because being based on 10, it makes math much easier.

 

[dandy]

in canada, we switched from imperial to metric in the early 80s. i remember being eternally confused about the temperature until i adjusted--there's a world of difference between 20 degrees fahrenheit (below freezing) and 20 degrees celsius (late spring warm day).

 

[U2@NYC]

I think that the U.S. being stuck to an old, dated, measuring system is a sign of arrogance.

They should change to the damn metric system, for once and for all.

 

[verte76]

I think that the U.S. being stuck to an old, dated, measuring system is a sign of arrogance.

They should change to the damn metric system, for once and for all.

The metric system really is easier to work with, especially if you're like me and a total mathematical klutz. Arrogance is never reasonable.

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

I would like it if we used the metric system.

 

[Liesje]

The Metric System makes way more sense. I wouldn't mind being forced to get used to it. I write my dates the European way b/c in high school German class, we got points off for doing it wrong and MLA citation does it like "24 Nov. 1999".

 

[Do Miss America]

but abandoning "mileage" as an automobile term might feel sort of like converting to a cult.

Interesting analogy.

 

[Spiral_Staircase]

* Differences in numbering conventions eg a billion is a thousand million in the USA and a million million in Australia, etc. (Europe?

Is this true??!! I'm shocked and amazed. How could I not know about this? It's a million million in Australia? What the bemph!

I've learned to work around the other issues and can compensate fairly well for them, but this caught me completely off guard.

So you're saying that when an Aussie is counting his marbles and he gets to nine hundred ninety-nine million nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine, the next number he counts is one thousand million? Who else counts this way?

 

[Popmartijn]

The Dutch.
We also have a billion, which is not the same as the US billion (don't know for sure whether or not it is a million million or not). We don't use 1,000 million though, as we have our own phrase for it (something like milliard).



Marty

 

[ImOuttaControl]

I think that the U.S. being stuck to an old, dated, measuring system is a sign of arrogance.

They should change to the damn metric system, for once and for all.

Wow, some people always just jump at any and every possible opportunity to brand people in the U.S. arrogant...

 

[beli]

Re: Re: International Standards and Systems of Units

Is this true??!! I'm shocked and amazed. How could I not know about this? It's a million million in Australia? What the bemph!

I've learned to work around the other issues and can compensate fairly well for them, but this caught me completely off guard.

So you're saying that when an Aussie is counting his marbles and he gets to nine hundred ninety-nine million nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine, the next number he counts is one thousand million? Who else counts this way?

Euros. Most of the world, I think, but Im not entirely sure.

Marty, we used to say millard too but I havent heard anyone say it in a long long time. Most people just say a thousand million now.

 

[beli]

The other thing that confuses me is measuring cups for cooking. USA measuring cups and spoons are different measurements in Australia ie a USA cup is not the same as an Australian cup. (cause ones imperial and ones metric)

Add that with the whole celsius / fahrenheit issue and cooking with international receipes is a bitch.

 

[dandy]

The other thing that confuses me is measuring cups for cooking. USA measuring cups and spoons are different measurements in Australia ie a USA cup is not the same as an Australian cup. (cause ones imperial and ones metric)

Add that with the whole celsius / fahrenheit issue and cooking with international receipes is a bitch.

you got that right.

 

[indra]

* Metric measurement (eg kilos, centimetres, and celsius) in most of the world vs imperial measurement (stone, feet, and fahrenheit) in the USA


* International paper size is A4 except for parts of the Americas where it is Legal or Letter. (I'm not sure which, my apologies)

I don't think anyone uses "stone" in the US -- last person I heard us it was a Brit living in Australia -- but I wouldn't mind using it as my weight doesn't seem nearly as bad when using stone as a measurement.

I think that A4 is the same size as Legal here. Someone had some art prints made in an A4 size and I wanted to know how large that was before I bought some.

 

[beli]

LOL pounds, sorry.

A4 and legal are different sizes. I can tell you the dramas I have had with a F***ing computer that was stuck on USA settings and what it did to my document on "legal" size.

 

[indra]

LOL pounds, sorry.

A4 and legal are different sizes. I can tell you the dramas I have had with a F***ing computer that was stuck on USA settings and what it did to my document on "legal" size.

Oh! I think it might be Ledger sized then, and even there it's probably a bit different too. If you put two normal copier paper sheets (well, normal here anyway...your's seem to be slightly thinner and taller) side by side you get Ledger sized.

 

[Salome]

Wow, some people always just jump at any and every possible opportunity to brand people in the U.S. arrogant...

that's why I checked to see his location says

Location: Washington, DC - USA

 

[Tania]

The interesting thing is when people talk about a new baby (well, my friends and family) they describe its weight in lbs and oz....


Oh and just off the track a little but one thing that always cracks me up is when you ask someone "How far is that?" (eg "How far is it from Perth to Sydney [one side of the island to the other]?") They will answer in time (eg: "Four and a half hours flight" or "Four days driving?")

(For those who really need to know: 3792km, sorry no idea in miles...)

 

[Popmartijn]

The interesting thing is when people talk about a new baby (well, my friends and family) they describe its weight in lbs and oz....

But are those then metric pounds or imperial pounds. Because there is a difference between them (500 grams for the metric pound and 453.6 gram for an imperial one).



Marty (prefers the imperial system for his weight too)

 

[A_Wanderer]

While the metric system is convenient I have a soft spot in my heart for the antiquated imperial system.

 

[beli]

Australian babies are weighed in pounds (imperial pounds) as well as kilos.

So are fish.

 

[nbcrusader]

Kids understand metrics.....Its the adults who have to make the change here in the states.

I know teachers who do not teach it.

Its a shame because being based on 10, it makes math much easier.

THe metric system has been taught for at least a couple of generations. Without a higher purpose for changing systems, we will likely remain in the status quo.

 

[speedracer]

Heck, why not go to physics units, where the speed of light and Planck's constant are both equal to 1 and everything can be measured in meters. For example, I am approximately 2.43 x 10^17 meters of age right now, and my mass is approximately 2.84 x 10^42 (meters)^(-1).