Measurement systems, especially time measurement, is the one thing everybody should absolutely agree on for the sake of sanity of everyone.
I disagree with this premise. I think that standardization is highly valuable, but there’s absolutely no reason everyone everywhere should use the same systems.
I think that standardization is highly valuable, but there’s absolutely no reason everyone everywhere should use the same systems.
I mean I guess there are exceptions like remote tribes living mostly independently of the global human civilization but other than that I can’t see a reason why you wouldn’t want a standardized measurement system.
Measurements should be relevant to daily life, and come in increments that are useful to daily tasks. Metric was primarily designed to look good on paper, which isn’t surprising when you consider that it was dreamed up by a bunch of fancy lads who never made things with their hands. We’re all kind of stuck with it now for a lot of reasons, but I believe that it is suboptimal.
The imperial system isn’t based on day to day use either though. A yard is the length of some kings arm, not some universal signifyer. The foot is the length of Henry I’s foot. An inch is three grains of barley laid end-to-end.
First time I remember my dad using yards was when I asked how far my family’s dog could see. She was going blind. He replied ‘about five yards’ and I thought it meant back yards, and then thought she could see further than she could.
Having actually tried to teach dimensional analysis and conversion factors to students, the fact that we even have two commonly used systems is too many.
We’ve already crashed a spaceship because of this. The practical need for any group of people in regular communication to adopt a single unit system far outways any ideological objections to it.
I disagree with this premise. I think that standardization is highly valuable, but there’s absolutely no reason everyone everywhere should use the same systems.
I mean I guess there are exceptions like remote tribes living mostly independently of the global human civilization but other than that I can’t see a reason why you wouldn’t want a standardized measurement system.
Measurements should be relevant to daily life, and come in increments that are useful to daily tasks. Metric was primarily designed to look good on paper, which isn’t surprising when you consider that it was dreamed up by a bunch of fancy lads who never made things with their hands. We’re all kind of stuck with it now for a lot of reasons, but I believe that it is suboptimal.
The imperial system isn’t based on day to day use either though. A yard is the length of some kings arm, not some universal signifyer. The foot is the length of Henry I’s foot. An inch is three grains of barley laid end-to-end.
First time I remember my dad using yards was when I asked how far my family’s dog could see. She was going blind. He replied ‘about five yards’ and I thought it meant back yards, and then thought she could see further than she could.
Having actually tried to teach dimensional analysis and conversion factors to students, the fact that we even have two commonly used systems is too many.
We’ve already crashed a spaceship because of this. The practical need for any group of people in regular communication to adopt a single unit system far outways any ideological objections to it.
And fucked up a few bridges and tunnels too!
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-27509559
Not to mention crushed bridges
https://metricviews.uk/2015/07/03/another-bridge-bashed/
And overdosed patients
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/25845/quick-6-six-unit-conversion-disasters