Why the heck does America still use outdated measurement and date units?

[Algr]

Never really understood why the US short changes a billion.

The long scale treats something common (prefixes for numbers) as if it was rare and precious, and thus wastes a lot of effort on unneeded complexity. Remember that the advantage of metric was that it was less complex.

Light years are not imperial as they are defined by time.

That makes them not metric. Imperial is whatever the king says, and that is me. 😇

 

[timber]

The meter is also defined by time so therefore the meter is not a metric unit.

 

[decafjava]

I think I should check up on definitions of systems a well as units of measurement.

 

[Huntn]

The meter is also defined by time so therefore the meter is not a metric unit.

That’s a different meter.

 

[Algr]

That’s a different meter.

🎼🎶🎵🎶🥁🎺

 

[Micky Do]

So I've just rediscovered the Long and Short scales of numbers. This is a system where the American system is IMHO unambiguously superior.

Long and short scales - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The short scale has short and efficient names as far as anyone would use names instead of scientific notation. The British and European long scales just add complexity and confusion.

American:
Million: 1,000,000
Billion: 1,000,000,000
Trillion: 1,000,000,000,000
Quadrillion: 1,000,000,000,000,000

Long Scale:
Million: 1,000,000
Thousand Million or Milliard: 1,000,000,000
Billion: 1,000,000,000,000
Thousand Billion or Billiard: 1,000,000,000,000,000

The long scale Trillion is 10^18, which is so large, that no one would ever use the word, the exponent is clearer.

So you all need to fix that before complaining about Feet and Inches.
=============

Also, Light Years are an imperial unit, equal to 9.4607 Petameters. So not metric.

1,000,000,000 (a thousand million) has been accepted as a billion throughout the English speaking world, including the UK, for several decades now.

There was a time when the UK billion was 1,000,000,000,000 (a million million) but now what was the US way of dealing with large numbers has become the norm. Each ten to the power of three gets a comma and its own name. Hence, universally in English

1,000 is a thousand
1,000,000 - thousand thousand is a million
1,000,000,000 - a thousand million is a billion
1,000,000,000,000 - a thousand billion is a trillion

etc.

Other languages have their own ways of dealing with large numbers. In Thai for instance it goes:

1 - nueng (one)
10 - sip (ten)
100 - roi (hundred)
1000 - pan (thousand)
10000 - muen (ten thousand)
100000 - saen (hundred thousand)
1000000 - larn (million)

From there on it goes

sip larn (10,000,000)
roi larn (100,000,000)
etc

Each system is logical for the language it is associated with. However in English world wide 1,000,000,000 is now recognised as a billion by all but the most contrary.

In terms of weights and measures it is the US that is being contrary in its reluctance to join the rest of the world….. all the while defining US Customary Units using Metric Units since the late 19th century!

 

[mtbdudex]

Well years ago my wife put this cheat sheet inside the upper cabinet door.
I totally forget about it till just now.
So there ya go, no issues

 

[Icelus]

Fortunately there's a built-in command line conversion utility

$ units

You have: 24 tsp
You want: pint
    * 0.25
    / 4

You have: 300 km/h
You want: mi/h
    * 186.41136
    / 0.00536448

You have: 180 degC
You want: degF
    356

You have: 1 dm3
You want: liter
    * 1
    / 1

 

[timber]

We usually do everything in grams and weight the stuff.
Sometimes ml when it's a liquid or non solid. Or cl or dl whatever, it's based on ten, it's irrelevant.
My mother of course does everything on the fly just by how it looks.

 

[compwiz1202]

There's always YY-DD-MM...

At least that will be easy until 2101.

 

[SalisburySam]

At least that will be easy until 2101.

Not my problem.

 

[scorpio vega]

As an american, i feel like by now in my 30s, it is too late to get me to learn any other way

 

[Micky Do]

As an american, i feel like by now in my 30s, it is too late to get me to learn any other way

Good grief, seems you are getting old before your time.

There’s not much to learn.…. Folks of all ages had it sorted within weeks, if not days, when the land of my birth made the change about 50 years ago. A year on and all was well.

 

[scorpio vega]

Good grief, seems you are getting old before your time.

There’s not much to learn.…. Folks of all ages had it sorted within weeks, if not days, when the land of my birth made the change about 50 years ago. A year on and all was well.

Eh I like it the way it is now though lol

90 degrees Fahrenheit gets the point it’s hot as hell than 28 Celsius

 

[iJest]

Imagine the metric system as a sleek, modern skyscraper – efficient, logical, and towering over the horizon with mathematical precision. It stands tall, a monument to practicality, but in its pursuit of uniformity, it might lose a bit of its soul.

Now, picture freedom units as a charming cobblestone street in a historic town – a delightful mix of quaint shops, each with its unique charm. It may not be as uniform as the skyscraper, but it's a place where warmth and character reside.

You see, our attachment to freedom units is like a sentimental heirloom passed down through generations. It carries the weight of our history and embodies the spirit of our forefathers who forged a nation with creativity and perseverance.

Like a seasoned artisan, the imperial inch is versatile, molding itself to various scenarios. It can be precise when needed, but it's also flexible enough to accommodate a pinch of estimation. It's a bit like a master painter who knows when to add a fine brushstroke and when to let the colors blend freely.

Now, let's consider date formats – the month/day/year style is like a literary masterpiece, with the month as the protagonist, the day as the supporting character, and the year providing context like a seasoned storyteller. It's an allegory of time, reminding us that life is a narrative to be savored, not just a series of numerical sequences.

And while converting between systems might seem like navigating a labyrinth, it's like exploring uncharted territories, discovering hidden treasures of knowledge and expanding our mental horizons.

So, my friend, as we traverse the realm of measurements, let's remember that diversity enriches our world. It's like a vast garden with flowers of various shapes and hues, each contributing to the tapestry of life.

Good grief, seems you are getting old before your time.

There’s not much to learn.…. Folks of all ages had it sorted within weeks, if not days, when the land of my birth made the change about 50 years ago. A year on and all was well.

My penchant for indolence impedes my pursuit of novelty.

 

[cyb3rdud3]

Eh I like it the way it is now though lol

90 degrees Fahrenheit gets the point it’s hot as hell than 28 Celsius

90 for temperature is like close to the boiling point, and basically, you'd die. Doesn't make sense to have such high decimal system numbers for what is effectively a pleasant ambient temperature; well, depending on humidity.

I really don't understand why the Americans are the only ones hanging on to what was proven an old, slightly incorrect British system of measure. It is daft, the rest of the world managed transitions to Celsius ever since 1790.

 

[InvertedGoldfish]

Why is the rest of the world so interested in what we do?

Americans really don’t care what other nations use to measure their sofa or weigh their wife

 

[cyb3rdud3]

Why is the rest of the world so interested in what we do?

Americans really don’t care what other nations use to measure their sofa or weigh their wife

Then don't look dumb when we say current temperatures are very hot at 42 degrees Some international awareness when travelling wouldn't go amiss. But hey if you want to be an outlier for something like this, nobody will loose sleep over it, just learn to do the conversions yourself

 

[scorpio vega]

90 for temperature is like close to the boiling point, and basically, you'd die. Doesn't make sense to have such high decimal system numbers for what is effectively a pleasant ambient temperature; well, depending on humidity.

I really don't understand why the Americans are the only ones hanging on to what was proven an old, slightly incorrect British system of measure. It is daft, the rest of the world managed transitions to Celsius ever since 1790.

lol you won't die at 90 degrees what?

boiling point is 210 fahrenheit or 100 degrees celcius lol.
Fahrenheit's temp is far more precise of a number measurement than celsius.

Celsius is better for measuring things like water but for day to day life fahrenheit is better imo

 

[JT2002TJ]

lol you won't die at 90 degrees what?

boiling point is 210 fahrenheit or 100 degrees celcius lol.
Fahrenheit's temp is far more precise of a number measurement than celsius.

Celsius is better for measuring things like water but for day to day life fahrenheit is better imo

They are saying that 90 degrees (to them is Celsius, since the think C) is close to boiling.

Neither is better, it's just what one is used to... Temperate is used to covey how hot or cold it is, using either, people understand how hot/cold it is. The only issue is explaining temperature to someone who is used to the other...

 

[scorpio vega]

They are saying that 90 degrees (to them is Celsius, since the think C) is close to boiling.

Neither is better, it's just what one is used to... Temperate is used to covey how hot or cold it is, using either, people understand how hot/cold it is. The only issue is explaining temperature to someone who is used to the other...

I learned Celsius in school and immediately forgot how to convert it lmao.

I also don’t get when they refer to weight as stones

 

[timber]

Fahrenheit is probably one of the most whatever situations. Both Celsius and Fahrenheit are more or less the same with just different numbers to get used to working around.
To me, 0 cold, 10 chilly, 20 nice, 30 hot, 40 get out of here hot, 100 boiling water. As you can see I came from a mild winter country, so I don't even have a mental scale for less than 0, in whatever scale, everything less than that is ice cream temperature.
Other people will do the same in Fahrenheit.
The length, volume,... measurements on the other hand...
That being said real man use Kelvin.

 

[Feek]

Americans really don’t care what other nations use to measure their sofa or weigh their wife

Don't you mean that Americans don't care about anything outside their borders whatsoever?

 

[eyoungren]

Eh I like it the way it is now though lol

90 degrees Fahrenheit gets the point it’s hot as hell than 28 Celsius

90º is hot?

I live in Phoenix. In three days we will have done an entire month of temps above 110º. A week ago our overnight low was 97º.

90º is where the thermometer in the front room is when I turn on the portable AC at 1am.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Eh I like it the way it is now though lol

90 degrees Fahrenheit gets the point it’s hot as hell than 28 Celsius

A small correction of a factual error.

For the record, 90F is not 28C.

In fact, 28C equates to 82F; 30C to 86F; 31C to 88F.

So, 90F would be 32C.