Re: measuring systems (was: Selenites)

-----Mensaje original-----
De: Tom Wier <artabanos@...>
Fecha: Lunes 28 de Septiembre de 1998 20:04

> Pablo Flores wrote:
> > Tom Wier wrote:
> > >But here's a question:  if the US were to make a change over to the
metric
> > >system, but kept its present units in remetricized forms, would you
find
> > >that acceptable?  What I mean for example is we use meters, kilometers,
> > >and so forth, but change the present value of mile to some useful
multiple
> > >of the kilometer (like 1 mile = 2km, rather 1.6 km as now), and do this
with
> > >other present units (1 inch would change from 2.54 cm to 2.5 or 2 cm,
etc.).
> > >What do you think? Would that still be confusing to you?
> > No more than it would be for you :)
> > No, in fact it would make the conversions a bit easier; but I don't
think that
> > would be convenient. Everything written in the old system would create
confusion.
> > You'd have to indicate whether you're talking of the old miles or the
new ones.
>
> Why would it cause so much confusion? Did the Germans find it confusing
tomake "ein Pfund"
> equivalent to 500 grams? I doubt it.

As I posted on the Colombian case, Germans adopted the metric system, and
then "ein Pfund" would better have 500 grams, than 436 g (or what ever value
it previusly had).  The same way, if the USA would widely adopt the metric
system (as I know is used in many scientific and official papers, but not in
every day life), probably the words mile and pound would be continue to be
used but being adapted to the new system.  Then one mile would be 1.50 or
1.60 kilometers, and a pound would be 500 or 400 grams, an a foot 30 cm.  I
believe this would be no problem if the metric system is adopted, but I
believe it would be more confusing if its done by decret or something
without adopting metric system completely.

Let's say, don't tell people you are changing the system.
Make 1 foot = 10 inches
Make 1 mile = 5000 feet
Make 1 foot = 30 cm
Make 1 pound = 400 g
Make 1 ounce = 25 g (keep 1 pound = 16 ounces)

Then, if you were 5'9" tall you are now 5,8 feet tall, if you weighted 200
pound, now you weight 218 pound.

Or adopt metric system, then you are 1.75 tall, and weight 87 kilos, I guess
a radical change would be easier to be adopted than small ones.  Then the
small ones would follow.

-- Carlos Th
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/9028/scripts/nube.html