Imperial and Metric systems. - General

[QUOTE=LarparNar;32586060]We're all used to the 60-minute system, which isn't as incredibly arbitrary as a lot of other imperial measurements. It could be a discussion about 12-hour versus 24-hour clock though.[/QUOTE] 24 hour clock is superior, since we don't have to append the AM/PM tag.

I remember that one post about us having ten fingers and how it relates to counting and why the metric system is better, but I think it's long gone, if anyone's got that it's an amazing argument. Anyway, I wonder if I'll have to use the imperial system when I move to the US.

[QUOTE=LarparNar;32586060]It could be a discussion about 12-hour versus 24-hour clock though.[/QUOTE] 24hr vs 12hr is a far more arbitrary discussion though because they're already so similar and most people that are used to the 24hr clock already know the 12hr clock and anyone used to the 12hr clock can pretty easily convert times to the 12 hour.

[QUOTE=Engie;32585321]Americans keep the imperial system for engineering reasons. Because you can easily get a 1/3rd of a foot while a 1/3rd of a meter isn't exact on a cad program.[/QUOTE] Engineering with the metric system should be just as good as the imperial system, although I'll agree that the more prime factors offered by foot and inch (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12) would be nice to use rather than only 1, 2, 5 and 10. However metric does make up for it with decimals; fractions can't be used efficiently to get very short distances. For example, I could find the length of something to be two millimetres, but in Imperial I wouldn't be able to find that exact same distance, it would be around 5/64ths of an inch but it wouldn't be an exact value. Because of the advantage offered by base ten (and millimetres, to be specific), metric allows for such calculations without going to inane lengths with the use of fractions. Although metric can't accurately find the length of a third, seventh or ninth it can find the accurate lengths of far more things than imperial without going all the way to fractions at inane and inefficient levels. Base ten consistency also helps with conversions within metric as well might I add. Finally I'd like to mention that I myself study civil engineering.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu_illAgCPg[/media]

[QUOTE=Glorbo;32588684][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu_illAgCPg[/media][/QUOTE] Winner right here.

Metric. Makes more sense and is easier to work with compared to the imperial system.

[QUOTE=Zang-Pog;32597540]Metric is simple, used by almost everybody and makes sense. [B]Imperial is confusing, used by a few countries and does not make sense at all.[/B] It's not that hard to decide which one is better[/QUOTE] It makes perfect sense to us, and since there's no economic harm in not changing, why should we?

[QUOTE=Canuhearmenow;32607003]It makes perfect sense to us, and since there's no economic harm in not changing, why should we?[/QUOTE] It actually makes no sense at all to use imperial. The units are totally inconsistent with each other and it starts getting pretty complicated when trying to do calculations with them, which is why metric is used for calculations. It's a leftover horrible system from the past and we'd be better off without it, as far as I know the only reason we haven't switched is due to the money it would cost.

If people understand it (well, people who aren't obstinate aresholes and actually put a bit of effort in) then it's fine.

[QUOTE=Canuhearmenow;32607003]It makes perfect sense to us, and since there's no economic harm in not changing, why should we?[/QUOTE] That's like saying "I will speak in my mother tongue in a foreign country so nobody will understand me, and that will make no difference, since I perfectly understand what am I saying!"

[QUOTE=VistaPOWA;32608697]That's like saying "I will speak in my mother tongue in a foreign country so nobody will understand me, and that will make no difference, since I perfectly understand what am I saying!"[/QUOTE] That's an awful comparison, since anything concerning business, science or industry in the US follows the metric system as well as the imperial. If you wanted a comparison, it would be like saying "I will speak my mother tongue around my friends and family, but speak the native tongue when going to the store or in school." It would be a complete waste of time and resources to convert everything over here to Metric, we're doing fine with the dual system currently in place.