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Author Topic: A libertarian strategy for promoting the metric system  (Read 15674 times)

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Harry Tuttle

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Re: A libertarian strategy for promoting the metric system
« Reply #15 on: February 09, 2010, 07:11:58 PM »

I can honestly say that I don't care and don't think much about measurements. I would have a tough time with feet vs. meters for a while (6'1" is easy to remember and relate to than 182 centimeters or 1.852 meters) but I'm sure I would get used to it. I'm sure I would quickly get used to liters vs. gallons in my gasoline.

Now here's my idea to get Joe Sixpack on board. Get the local pub to start selling a "half-liter" for the same price as a pint. I think that's like 10% more, but that's just a rough guess, because I don't know the exact conversion, or which kind of pint the are using.
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AL the Inconspicuous

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Re: A libertarian strategy for promoting the metric system
« Reply #16 on: February 09, 2010, 09:17:20 PM »

Weird, I find height much easier to remember in the metric system - everyone's a meter something (unless you're a kid, or as tall as Glenn Jacobs), like "meter sixty five", so you just remember the last two numbers.  With feet and inches you have as much cognitive information ("five foot five"), or more because the number of inches is base 12 instead of base 10, but almost 1/3rd the accuracy!

And doing relative calculations (ex "10% longer than 5'11") requires extra steps (1.1 * (5 * 12 + 11), and then convert to feet and inches again), while with metric anyone can do it in his head on the fly!  Even typing "5 ft 11 in" into Google is a pain in the ass compared to "180 cm", and I still can't figure out how to get it to produce output in both feet and inches!
« Last Edit: February 09, 2010, 09:36:23 PM by Alex Libman »
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gibson042

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Re: A libertarian strategy for promoting the metric system
« Reply #17 on: February 09, 2010, 10:52:42 PM »

Even typing "5 ft 11 in" into Google is a pain in the ass compared to "180 cm", and I still can't figure out how to get it to produce output in both feet and inches!

I accept your challenge. It's messy, but you can get a human-interpretable answer with complex numbers. Integer feet (floor function) requires three input copies while decimal feet can be done with two. Or you could just sell your soul to Wolfram Alpha.
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Sam Gunn (since nobody got Admiral Naismith)

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Re: A libertarian strategy for promoting the metric system
« Reply #18 on: February 09, 2010, 10:54:44 PM »

We already use the metric system for everything that counts.
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AL the Inconspicuous

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Re: A libertarian strategy for promoting the metric system
« Reply #19 on: February 10, 2010, 03:36:23 AM »

I accept your challenge.  [...]

I appreciate your calculator hacking creativity in utilizing imaginary numbers, but you still finish second.  ;)


We already use the metric system for everything that counts.

Are you trying to tell me that tomatoes don't count?!  Bet you wouldn't say that to my face, cause I take my tomatoes very seriously ya know!
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gibson042

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Re: A libertarian strategy for promoting the metric system
« Reply #20 on: February 10, 2010, 12:52:23 PM »

I appreciate your calculator hacking creativity in utilizing imaginary numbers, but you still finish second.  ;)

I feel shortchanged. :roll:  Oh well, onto other projects...
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rookie

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Re: A libertarian strategy for promoting the metric system
« Reply #21 on: February 10, 2010, 01:18:16 PM »

Buy/sell weed as a way to familiar yourself with conversion rates.  Most people talk english but buy metric in this sub-culture.

 "I'll take an ounce of the Sour-Diesel-Kush."



"28 grams? comin' right up!"  ;)
« Last Edit: February 10, 2010, 01:22:17 PM by selkē »
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AL the Inconspicuous

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Re: A libertarian strategy for promoting the metric system
« Reply #22 on: February 10, 2010, 02:57:34 PM »

No one voted...  :roll:


"28 grams? comin' right up!"  ;)

Dosage conventions and language tend to adapt to the metric system quite well, it's only a matter of time.

« Last Edit: February 10, 2010, 02:59:45 PM by Alex Libman »
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TimeLady Victorious

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Re: A libertarian strategy for promoting the metric system
« Reply #23 on: February 10, 2010, 03:54:24 PM »

Fuck the metric system. My car gets 14 rods to the hogshead, and that's the way I like it.
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Karrde188

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Re: A libertarian strategy for promoting the metric system
« Reply #24 on: February 10, 2010, 07:32:35 PM »


Speaking of cars, why doesn't the metric system measure fuel efficiency in Kilometers per liter the way we measure in Miles per gallon? I would figure measuring it in Kilometers per liter would be more precise than say "5 liters per 100 KM"... IMHO
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sandm000

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Re: A libertarian strategy for promoting the metric system
« Reply #25 on: February 11, 2010, 11:37:53 AM »


1) it dehumanizes scales of measurement

I have 10 fingers, not 5280 (yes, I had to look that up).
Yes and there is a difference between counting and measuring.

Quote
2) the default error is a multiple of 10 error, Which is extremely bad when giving injections to infants.

That is a legitimate downside only if error rates in metric countries are higher, which I seriously doubt.  Using an unintuitive system that is different than the rest of the world introduces far, far greater causes of error.

The default error in the imperial system is a factor of two.
So if you have 1 viagra tablet and you take half by accident you still get the effect, while if you take 2 you still get the effect but with an increased chance of negative effects.
Compare to metric error. 0.1 pills yields minimal effects while 10 pills puts you in the hospital. Do you see the point? And one should assume that the error rates are standard worldwide, if not higher in countries with socialized medicine (what incentive do they have to get the numbers right?)
« Last Edit: February 11, 2010, 11:42:54 AM by sandm000 »
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AL the Inconspicuous

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Re: A libertarian strategy for promoting the metric system
« Reply #26 on: February 11, 2010, 12:47:44 PM »

Yes and there is a difference between counting and measuring.

Both are done by computers, but unit conversion is what is most likely to screw things up.


The default error in the imperial system is a factor of two.

The "default error" nonsense is completely irrelevant.  The default error of air travel (plane crash) is far deadlier than the default error of roller-blading (falling on your ass), but going from New York to Hong Kong via a plane is still the safer way to do it.

Furthermore, the only unit errors I've ever experienced in my life were with the Imperial system.  The rest of the world laughs at caricatures of a stupid American mixing up feet and yards, which does happen all the time, but no one ever mixes up centimeters, meters, and kilometers - they're used in completely different contexts!  (Intermediate units that are pointless to use are simply never used.)
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Donnie Love

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Re: A libertarian strategy for promoting the metric system
« Reply #27 on: February 11, 2010, 07:43:36 PM »

I always look for half liter sodas as opposed to 20 ouncers.

AL the Inconspicuous

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Re: A libertarian strategy for promoting the metric system
« Reply #28 on: February 11, 2010, 07:55:36 PM »

Awesome!

Now bitch about that in a letter to a company, and my movement will no longer consist of myself alone.  :lol:
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Manuel_OKelly

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Re: A libertarian strategy for promoting the metric system
« Reply #29 on: February 11, 2010, 09:19:22 PM »

The reason the market hasn't adopted the metric system is because using decimal units with the english system is just as good.
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