The Many Times The US Tried To Go Metric

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I try to use metric as often as possible. I measure everything in millimeters in grams. I still haven't switched over to Celsius completely yet but I'd like to.
- I lived hear my entire life and I still can't make sense of the half assed fluid measurements. I just use metric, because what the fuck is a fluid ounce?
  
  To answer your question, 1 fluid ounce is the volume of 1.0431755565 mass (weight) ounces of pure water.
  
  1.0431755565
  I literally have no words for my seething hatred of this system.
  Don't get me started on the damn mile. There's a reason we tell distance in time it takes to drive.
  
  5 fluid ounces to the gill. 4 gills to the pint. 2 pints to the quart. 4 quarts to the gallon. And 1 gallon is 10 pounds of water.
  Except in the US. For us, it's 4 fluid ounces to the gill. 4 gills to the pint. 2 pints to the quart. 4 quarts to the gallon. And 1 gallon is 8 troy pounds of wine.
  
  ...I imagine you're being serious, but as someone unfamiliar with this, it reads as almost being some kind of obscure joke. Gills?? Troy pounds??
  This is some merfolk conspiracy to mess with landfolk, far as I'm concerned.
- That's great and all. But by measuring everything in millimetres and grams you miss out on the very thing that makes the metric system great; the easy conversions. You can measure things in millimetres and easily switch to centimeters, just by moving the decimal sign, when the measurement gets large enough. That way you can almost always keep the numbers manageable. No need to say 1500 millimetres. Just say 1,5 m.
  
  Yes, the metric system is quite great
  
  Weight as well. One liter is exactly 1kg of water. In precipitation (rain amount) 1mm is exactly 1l or 1kg of water on 1m². So when they say there will be 8mm of fall, that's expected around 8l per square meter which is quite intuitive.
- I still like the feel of feet/inches for length, but grams are way, way better for cooking and meal tracking.
- Celsius is pretty easy. You probably like 20c inside year round. The high teens to mid 20s are comfortable. 13c and below is quite cold. 25c and up is quite hot.
  If you use a PC, your temps are probably 30-85c, which is an easy way to learn too.
  "30 is hot, 20 is nice, 10 is cool, 0 is ice" is a good way to learn human temps.
  My recommendation, just set your phone/watch/thermostat to C. You'll learn it within a few weeks of cutting over :)
  
  I love how americans have ambient temp in F and computer temps in C.
  
  Just like how we sell milk in gallons but soda in liters.

65 comments