Dear Ms. Neckar, I want to thank you and your copy editor very much for taking the time to a respond to my question about the use of pre-metric units in the article mentioned below. I know how busy you must be in your day-to-day operations to stop and confer about the content of one letter.
I have two questions about the perspective of your style policy regarding measurement units when publishing in the U.S. 1)Why are pre-metric units (aka inch-pound) continuing to be referred to as "standard?" WHOSE standard? It as if, measurement-wise, you are using one of those humorous distorted maps of the world, with one subject country filling the entire picture while all the others hang from it like pinpoint earrings. Throughout the world, SI metric is THE standard of measurement---even here in the U.S. since 1893, when units of length and mass became defined legally only by metric units (www.metric.org/laws/mendenhall.html). And, in 1988, the Congress declared the metric system to be the preferred system of measurement for U.S. trade and commerce. 2)Why do you consider your magazine to be a general-audience publication? Your own audience description states : "DISCOVER readers are affluent, educated, and involved in their communities. They have a passion for learning more about their universe and using that learning to shape their future." Is that the description of a general audience? A magazine dedicated to reporting science news should use science language fully, and the science language of measurement is wholly metric. With respect to the context, your entire magazine IS the context, so I offer that all measurements it cites are under "contextual and compelling reasons" to be SI. Also, one point made by your copy editor is very telling. He/she suggests that the choice of measurement system use in your magazine may be dependent upon scale. Why does he/she affirm micrometers and nanometers, but reject kilometers? An "educated, passionate, and involved" audience that claims an interest in science should be expected to be able to position a decimal point. With regard to measurement, it is time for you to provoke the passion you claim to inspire. Bring your scientifically-oriented American readers into modern scientific discourse. The members of this audience are "familiar" with many things, and I believe it is far overdue for them to become fluent in the world science system of measurement. I think you should give your readers credit for their ability to learn and to be curious. Don't keep them down. Raise them up. Choose to lead! SIncerely, Paul Trusten, Registered Pharmacist Vice President and Public Relations Director U.S. Metric Association, Inc. www.metric.org trus...@grandecom.net On Jun 26, 2013, at 11:32, Editorial <editor...@discovermagazine.com> wrote: > Hello, Paul, > > We occasionally get questions about our choice to use standard units rather > than metric or SI. Here's what our copy editor (who also makes decisions > about our style use), says about our reasoning in that matter: "Since we're > for a general audience, we use standard over metric or SI unless there is a > contextual/compelling reason to use the latter. (For example, usually when a > story talks about microns or nanometer sizes, we'll go with SI.)" > > I hope that helps clarify our choice. We certainly recognize the utility of > metric/SI, but as we are written for a general audience and the general > American audience is most familiar with standard, that's the style we use. > Feel free to let me know if you have any additional questions. > > Best, > > Elisa > > -- > Elisa R. Neckar > DISCOVER magazine > enec...@discovermagazine.com > 262-796-8776, ext. 296 > > Remember our new address! > DISCOVER magazine > 21027 Crossroads Circle > Waukesha, WI 53186 > > From: Paul Trusten <paulustrus...@me.com> > Date: Thursday, June 6, 2013 11:40 PM > To: Editorial <editor...@discovermagazine.com> > Subject: May 2013 article should use metric system, avoid pre-metric units > > To the Editor, Discover Magazine: > > Discover has earned the respect of its readers of all stripes, scientific and > casual alike. That is why the May 2013 article by Steve Nadis, "Insect > Insight," should reflect that respect by adhering to the exclusive use of the > measurement language of science, the International System of Units, (the SI, > or modern metric system) in its illustrations and references. On page 57 of > that issue, James McLurkin's "r-one" device should have been described in > millimeters and grams, not in inches and ounces. > > Those who support U.S. changeover to the metric system as the Nation's > primary, everyday measurement standard refer to such use of the old units in > any periodical as "dumbing down" measurements for U.S. readers. But it ought > to be Discover's obligation to "wise up" instead of to "dumb down." Your > readers should be presumed to be metric savvy, and you are already presuming > knowledge of the SI by using the prefixes "nano-," micro," "mega-," and > "tera-." > > A 1988 federal law declared the metric system to be the preferred system of > measurement for U.S. trade and commerce. It ought to be the SOLE measurement > system in a publication such as yours. The caliber of your reader is such > that he or she will rise to the standard you set by becoming more familiar > with metric-system frames of reference. > > SIncerely, > > Paul Trusten, Vice President > U.S. Metric Association > www.metric.org > trus...@grandecom.net > > > > Paul Trusten, Vice President > U.S. Metric Association > www.metric.org > trus...@grandecom.net > >
