DeadEyeDuk
Superhero Level Poster
Just seen this and it made me chuckle, so thought i'd share with the group 
US vs RoW
- Thread starter DeadEyeDuk
- Start date
Though do remember that here in the UK many people still use feet and inches for height measurement - I know I'm about 5'7" - never measured my height in cm
And many people still use stones and ounces for weight.
And all our road signs are in miles.
DeadEyeDuk
Superhero Level Poster
And before anyone says anything, yes I know we use imperial measurements still, but that doesn't detract from the image
Dammit Rakky, I was too slow!
Dammit Rakky, I was too slow!
Though do remember that here in the UK many people still use feet and inches for height measurement - I know I'm about 5'7" - never measured my height in cm
And many people still use stones and ounces for weight.
And all our road signs are in miles.
You're right, I suspect that's going to slowly change over time and metric measurements will be adopted. But by in large industry etc. all use metric measurements for everything, makes stuff simpler
Still, the pic is still amusing on its own merits
ubuysa
The BSOD Doctor
Well when I was a nipper we also used feet, inches, yards and miles, and the odd bushel and peck. I forget now when we changed, though it was more of a gradual thing than a "big bang" like the money was. Actually inches and feet makes a lot of sense. There 12 inches in one foot and 12 is divisible into an integer by more integers than other numbers of a similar size (and way more than 10 is). This is also the reason we have 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour and 24 hours in a day. Those numbers are divisible into multiple integers. That's also why on a compass there are 360 degrees in a circle. Us old gits knew a thing or two back then...
Well when I was a nipper we also used feet, inches, yards and miles, and the odd bushel and peck. I forget now when we changed, though it was more of a gradual thing than a "big bang" like the money was. Actually inches and feet makes a lot of sense. There 12 inches in one foot and 12 is divisible into an integer by more integers than other numbers of a similar size (and way more than 10 is). This is also the reason we have 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour and 24 hours in a day. Those numbers are divisible into multiple integers. That's also why on a compass there are 360 degrees in a circle. Us old gits knew a thing or two back then...
There is also 2π radians in a circle.. Explain that ;P
Degrees and such originate from Sexagesimal, which is base 60. Denary (1-10) is Base 10, Binary base 2, hex base 16 and so on.
here is a wiki on the base 60
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexagesimal
Androcles
Rising Star
Though do remember that here in the UK many people still use feet and inches for height measurement - I know I'm about 5'7" - never measured my height in cm
And many people still use stones and ounces for weight.
And all our road signs are in miles.
I personally refuse to go metirc, won't do it ever, wheni go to a hardware store i tell them what i need in imperial and make THEM work out the sizes i want. Imperial is our measure and we should use it, we shouldn't conform to the preasures of europe.
I always thought it was metric now, in part due to the pressures of europe.
Personally I think its a good thing.
DeadEyeDuk
Superhero Level Poster
As ever, we are just awesome, because we mix the two...best of both worlds
The imperial system is terrible. Particularly because
(a) it's shockingly inconsistent - some things are multiples of 12 (e.g. inches > feet), some 16 (ounces > pounds), some 14 (pounds > stones) and many many more.
(b) it overlooks the fact that we count in base 10. Which makes it very easy to use multiples of 10 but much harder to use multiples of any other number.
Incidentally radians are sometimes used for angles because it makes the maths a lot neater when doing a lot of trigonometry.
(a) it's shockingly inconsistent - some things are multiples of 12 (e.g. inches > feet), some 16 (ounces > pounds), some 14 (pounds > stones) and many many more.
(b) it overlooks the fact that we count in base 10. Which makes it very easy to use multiples of 10 but much harder to use multiples of any other number.
Incidentally radians are sometimes used for angles because it makes the maths a lot neater when doing a lot of trigonometry.
Outerarm
Well-known member
I get annoyed with the US paper sizes -- letter, legal, etc. They are also just so inconsistent -- the ISO standard (A1, A2, etc.) is so much neater and logical. From the blurb:
bigben
Master Poster
Bit of a personal question, but how old are you?
I'm 19 and because of my job I'm fluent in both. Metric is easier, more logical (and it's been SI in England for 30 + years).
FYI they still use chains for Cricket stumps and hedge laying.
Kalisnoir
Super Star
Thought I should chime in. I'm 21 (22 next month) and having been brought up with metric, but working in industry (Did Fabrication for a while although I'm now at Uni) with oldies I had to use imperial as well. I'm pretty good with both and when I was fabricating I would often use both systems on the same project using millimetres for small things and inches for larger distances.
I'm not sure if it was a joke or not but it seems a little stubborn to refuse to use Metric (a clearly much more logical system) purely because it would mean you are "conforming to Europe". I do hope you were joking though.
Grimezy
Prolific Poster
I hate to admit it but I genuinely don't know what I use most the time, they've just merged into one for me. I do admin for a surveying company who measure everything in mm, I base height on feet and inches, I weigh myself in Stones but I work distances out in miles.
*shrugs shoulders*
*shrugs shoulders*
bigben
Master Poster
I hope you wouldn't buy timber from B&Q....
I am always getting asked for 2.4m x 4" x 4"...
