2007-01-09 15:51:19 · 11 answers · asked by SCott N 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
Seems to me that there was a movement to do just that in the sixties and it got squashed, maybe by industries manufacturing items using non-metric standards. Lets see, logical, easier, more intelligent, hmmmm doesn't sound like "our cup of tea"!
2007-01-09 16:53:45 · answer #1 · answered by mountain woman 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I do not think it is laziness or stupidity, as many above seem to think.
It is simply uneconomical (and dangerous) for the country, and very hard to change habits of a life-time.
Uneconomical: all country infrastructure has to be changed: from road signs to machineries to tools etc.
Dangerous: it can't be done overnight (think you have to change all road signs from one day to the other), so it can only be done by small areas. Well, dangerous: in one town, they use metric; in the other, they use imperial. A time where the americans use BOTH systems? Confusing to say the least!
Change habits of a life-time? Hard!
If you are taught the metric system from 3 years old, how would you feel if you "suddenly" have to go Imperial? Hard! (the opposite is true as well)
So, if a change is to be made, it will take at least two generations:
a generation of kids that will be fluent in BOTH systems, then the next generation that will use the new system.
UK has agreed to switch to SI in 1971.
Still not done, and, if they are teaching SI at school, the older generation still use Imperial.
Call it inertia if you want, but I would call it "the opposition force to changes". Well, this is the first Newton's law of motion!!!
Applies to the americans as well, you know?
2007-01-09 22:34:19 · answer #2 · answered by just "JR" 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
The US hasn't had to switch to metric simply because - at the time the rest of the European countries were standardizing on the Systeme Internationale (also referred to as 'metric') - it was the largest market for manufactured goods in the world. It had the best economy, the highest buying power, and was the third largest (by population) country on the planet.
Since then, several nations have adopted the SI system of measurement ... to the extent that it applies to their own manufactured goods. However, almost all of them will ALSO have Imperial units of measurement for those goods shipped to the US. The only countries that are TRULY 'metric' are those that have no trade with the US...
Oh yes - Canada decided to stadardize on the SI system in the late '70s. It still has Imperial measures as well - they're simply to close to the 'big borther' market of the US. Almost everyone in the country is fluent (if one can use that term when speaking of measurement systems) in both Imperial and Metric. Both systems are taught in school, although there is slightly more emphasis on SI measurements.
2007-01-10 01:37:58 · answer #3 · answered by CanTexan 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
the reason has constantly been "it is going to value too plenty". regrettably, the value is often going to strengthen, and the longer you wait, the greater advantages you pass over out on (eg much less mathematical blunders, keep time in faculties studying confusing unit variations). So relatively, the U. S. hasn't switched because of the fact short term questioning has been practiced on the fee of long term questioning. the three international places interior the international that don't use the metric device are Liberia, Burma (Myanmar), and the USA.
2016-10-06 22:29:42 · answer #4 · answered by greenwell 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bureaucratic and industrial inertia.
We give other nations industries loans to retool, but we wont give those loans to our own, so our major tooling is made in english not SI. Our architects are trained in the majority tooling, so its hard to change over. If they do anyway, and just downsize, the economics make losses higher.
The choices you make, make you. Thats true on the scale of individual persons and on the scale of nations.
Calling someone you dont know, especially an entire culture, a dishonoring term is still just speaking in ignorance. That is true whether you say all italians are liars, or all americans are lazy. Generalizations are by definition wrong, but generalizations based in ignorance are stupid.
2007-01-09 16:01:06 · answer #5 · answered by Curly 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
do you think that us stupid a** lazy americans are going to take our sweet time...where we could be watching some good ole tele...to learn the metric system. we have never used it therefore would be stupid to change anyway...everything would have to change along with it and the gov. and companies dont want to spend the money to change everything.
2007-01-09 16:00:57 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Is it really that hard? Yes! Why should the government waste tax payer money on replacing millions of road signs and other forms of infrastructure on something as pointless as changing our measuring system, which works fine.
2007-01-09 16:18:06 · answer #7 · answered by michaelb1020 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Guess it's too tough to multiply by a factor of 10.
2007-01-09 16:18:20 · answer #8 · answered by nerdy girl 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
America wants everyone to be like them, instead of changing to be like the world.
And they're lazy and stupid, too stupid to learn the metric system.
2007-01-09 15:57:30 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 5⤋
.The rest of the world needs to get on the standard system. America invented measurement
2007-01-09 15:58:48 · answer #10 · answered by Mr.Robot 5 · 0⤊ 5⤋