sr71blackbird
09-07-2003, 03:44 AM
Im reading this book
http://www.frenchculture.org/books/pix/aldermeasure180.jpg
And it deals with these two astronomers in the late 1700's during the French Revolution who were put to the task of measuring the meridian to determine the size of the Earth and then use the Earths size as a basis for a new measurment system that became known as the Metric system. Apart from a swipe at the US near the beginning for being the only nation in the world not to have this system implimented as a standard, it seems a pretty interesting book so far. The Metric system seems to be an easier system, conceptually, as its based on 10, which is easier to calculate than what we use. In theirs, they simply move a decimal or whatever. In my mind, growing up as we did here with gallons and inches and feet and miles, I have a good grasp of measurments, but I see where ours isnt that good when you ask someone how many feet are in a mile (5280) or ounces in a gallon (128) and no one seems to know. But where they use the Metric system, if you ask a kid how many meters are in a kilometer, they know it (1000), even millimeters (1 000 000) and it seems very simple. I grew up not have a good head for math and struggled with that my whole life. Im just wondering if anyone knows why we never implimented it here. I guess I would hate to have to make that transition of paying $1.89 for a gallon of gas now, then have to pay who-knows-what for a liter of gas!
http://members.aol.com/canofsoup15/images/sr71-sig.gif
Many Thanks Soup!
http://www.frenchculture.org/books/pix/aldermeasure180.jpg
And it deals with these two astronomers in the late 1700's during the French Revolution who were put to the task of measuring the meridian to determine the size of the Earth and then use the Earths size as a basis for a new measurment system that became known as the Metric system. Apart from a swipe at the US near the beginning for being the only nation in the world not to have this system implimented as a standard, it seems a pretty interesting book so far. The Metric system seems to be an easier system, conceptually, as its based on 10, which is easier to calculate than what we use. In theirs, they simply move a decimal or whatever. In my mind, growing up as we did here with gallons and inches and feet and miles, I have a good grasp of measurments, but I see where ours isnt that good when you ask someone how many feet are in a mile (5280) or ounces in a gallon (128) and no one seems to know. But where they use the Metric system, if you ask a kid how many meters are in a kilometer, they know it (1000), even millimeters (1 000 000) and it seems very simple. I grew up not have a good head for math and struggled with that my whole life. Im just wondering if anyone knows why we never implimented it here. I guess I would hate to have to make that transition of paying $1.89 for a gallon of gas now, then have to pay who-knows-what for a liter of gas!
http://members.aol.com/canofsoup15/images/sr71-sig.gif
Many Thanks Soup!