Why the heck does America still use outdated measurement and date units?

[Herdfan]

I remember traveling from Indiana to Virginia via West Virginia and seeing the mountains/hills being stripped for the purpose of mining in 1968.

On a later trip back to that town in Pennsylvania, seeing my adoptive mother's cousin's house with outhouse, including a bathtub was interesting.

I heard a story about how my grandfather and his father-in-law found the mine scales unlocked. They found that the mining company had loaded a container for counterweights with rocks, so as to reduce the payment to the miners, as it looked as their loads were much lighter than they were.

Talk about outdated measures, or perhaps, outrageous measures.

There is a great movie from the 80's called Matewan. Stars James Earl Jones and Chris Cooper. It details miners struggles to unionize in Matewan WV and the subsequent Matewan Massacre.

It won an Oscar.

I've always been anti-union, but this move explains why they were needed at that period in time.

 

[JT2002TJ]

I remember my daughter then scolding me for not saving the rice water. Evidently, rice water is a hair care product

There're tons (Standard, not metric) of things you can use it for!

 

[jlc1978]

Every American kitchen has one or more of these.

Of course. With the added plus of when someone tries to weigh an item with that you get to explain those are fluid oz.

Where as no kitchen outside of the US does. Our look like this.

Hmm. Ours has both in the US and EU.

Now, for the real question:

What weighs more, an oz of feathers ( European swallow) or an oz of gold?

 

[bousozoku]

Of course. With the added plus of when someone tries to weigh an item with that you get to explain those are fluid oz.




Hmm. Ours has both in the US and EU.

Now, for the real question:

What weighs more, an oz of feathers ( European swallow) or an oz of gold?

What weighs more: a box of kitty litter or a litter of kitties?

 

[polyphenol]

Of course. With the added plus of when someone tries to weigh an item with that you get to explain those are fluid oz.




Hmm. Ours has both in the US and EU.

Now, for the real question:

What weighs more, an oz of feathers ( European swallow) or an oz of gold?

Or how can you add mass to something but reduce its weight?

(No - not looking at things in space, etc.)

 

[bousozoku]

There is a great movie from the 80's called Matewan. Stars James Earl Jones and Chris Cooper. It details miners struggles to unionize in Matewan WV and the subsequent Matewan Massacre.

It won an Oscar.

I've always been anti-union, but this move explains why they were needed at that period in time.

I've watched too many towns met with disaster because of unions but they have their purpose and time.

Throwing off the old ways, and this thread is certainly about that, has to happen. We have to become one united planet at some point.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I've watched too many towns met with disaster because of unions but they have their purpose and time.

Throwing off the old ways, and this thread is certainly about that, has to happen. We have to become one united planet at some point.

Not until the visitors from that other planet arrive.

 

[jlc1978]

Or how can you add mass to something but reduce its weight?

(No - not looking at things in space, etc.)

Sure. Since weight is a force lower g allows you to reduce weight and add mass as long as it is proportionally less than the acceleration reduction.

 

[polyphenol]

Sure. Since weight is a force lower g allows you to reduce weight and add mass as long as it is proportionally less than the acceleration reduction.

No changes to g!

 

[bousozoku]

Or how can you add mass to something but reduce its weight?

(No - not looking at things in space, etc.)

Use a gravity field generator and reverse the polarity.

 

[drrich2]

Or how can you add mass to something but reduce its weight?

Convert from solid or liquid phase to vapor. Fog floats on air, water falls to the ground. You can add mass, more of the substance, but by altering that state lower the effective weight.

 

[jimsz]

How about because Fahrenheit is more accurate? No reason for the USA to follow everyone else, it works for us.

 

[DaveFromCampbelltown]

How about because Fahrenheit is more accurate? No reason for the USA to follow everyone else, it works for us.

No, Fahrenheit is more precise (has smaller degree increments) but is not more accurate. As well it is absolutely useless in calculations involving heat, energy, pressure, etc.
As well, for every 10 degrees C rise (or lower) a chemical reaction rate doubles (or halves). What could be simpler?
Also, almost all life exists between 0 degrees C and 100 degrees C. (Although admittedly, it tends to clump in the lower third...). What could be simpler?

 

[Allyance]

We lived in Toronto for 12.5 years, dealing with metric was like being bi-lingual (that is a whole different kettle of fish in Canada). Gas was pumped in liters, not gallons, didn't make much difference when the tank was 1/2 full. Temperatures got easy to estimate, our speedometers had both speeds with metric being the primary. I was always converting speed limits in my head. For the country to convert would mean having both systems on everything for generations, better but very costly. Canada was 100% bi-lingual (French/English). All products had to be bi-lingual with no preference in type face or font size allowed. To this day I only remember fromage (cheese)! My motorcycles are by Honda and all nut and bolts are metric. Speedometers are MPH and miles

One key measurement always stuck in my mind 1 Pint = 1 lb water, 2 pints to a quart, 4 quarts to a gallon. Therefore 1 gallon = 8 lbs.

 

[MiG007]

I've watched too many towns met with disaster because of unions but they have their purpose and time.

Throwing off the old ways, and this thread is certainly about that, has to happen. We have to become one united planet at some point.

A lot more towns have met with disaster from CEOs and business owners. AKA the "board of directors union".

 

[chown33]

What weighs more, an oz of feathers ( European swallow) or an oz of gold?

Before or after rinsing?

What weighs more: a box of kitty litter or a litter of kitties?

Is that an African kitty or a European kitty?
Metric box or Imperial box?

 

[bousozoku]

Before or after rinsing?


Is that an African kitty or a European kitty?
Metric box or Imperial box?

Discrimination! Why didn't you mention Asian Kitties? 😆

 

[AlaskaMoose]

You are closer to the original Paella by using chicken (or rabbit) than with seafood.

My wife doesn't enjoy eating paella with any kind of sea life, specially shrimp. She would also freak-out if I use rabbit. Even the times that I borough home moose during the Alaska moose season, she always told me that, "whatever you do make sure that I don't see eyes, head, nor anything that resembles a moose. If you can cut it and wrap it out there, that is even better" 😅 She's a sweetheart, so I try to please her (done this for over 40 years already).

During the summer I sometimes bring home several Copper River salmon. These are wild salmon, most coho and a king or two, and always remove the heads and tails before putting then in ice chests.

That's the reason why I sometimes prepare dishes that are similar to the Spanish paella, except for only having small squares of pork, or beef (usually some good steaks I find locally), or chicken. There are some very flavorful canned tomato juice that I sometimes add to the rice, plus a little of the somewhat expensive saffron.

 

[DaveFromCampbelltown]

Nothing wrong with rabbit. A bit stringy, but a bit like chicken with flavour (most farmed chickens these days have no flavour). Best casseroled with gently piquant sauce.

 

[polyphenol]

One key measurement always stuck in my mind 1 Pint = 1 lb water, 2 pints to a quart, 4 quarts to a gallon. Therefore 1 gallon = 8 lbs.

This is one very good reason to be careful with non-metric measurements.

From a UK perspective,
1 Pint = 1 lb 4 oz water,
2 pints to a quart,
4 quarts to a gallon.
Therefore 1 gallon = 10 lbs.

(20 fluid ounces in a UK pint.)

 

[polyphenol]

No, Fahrenheit is more precise (has smaller degree increments) but is not more accurate. As well it is absolutely useless in calculations involving heat, energy, pressure, etc.
As well, for every 10 degrees C rise (or lower) a chemical reaction rate doubles (or halves). What could be simpler?
Also, almost all life exists between 0 degrees C and 100 degrees C. (Although admittedly, it tends to clump in the lower third...). What could be simpler?

Surely neither scale is more accurate? That would only mean anything when using the values as, say, integer values only.

And the most precise and accurate measurements will most likely be within science and in Kelvin. (Yes, I know C is just a displaced zero from K.)

 

[bousozoku]

Not until the visitors from that other planet arrive.

What do you mean "until"?

 

[bousozoku]

This is one very good reason to be careful with non-metric measurements.

From a UK perspective,
1 Pint = 1 lb 4 oz water,
2 pints to a quart,
4 quarts to a gallon.
Therefore 1 gallon = 10 lbs.

(20 fluid ounces in a UK pint.)

Beer must be heavier there.

 

[polyphenol]

Beer must be heavier there.

Some beer really is heavier in Scotland!

Beer in Scotland - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Apple fanboy]

What do you mean "until"?

Well until everyone knows about them! Until then there secret identities will remain just that.