Do you realize that you just came across like one of those religious zealots
who pass out those little religious tracts written by Jack T. Chick? That
attitude on the part of many metricationists, not the metric system itself, is
what is hindering its universal adoption in the US.
The average US citizen, after encountering the religious fervor of both,
usually reacts the same way ("What a bunch of obsessed freaks!"), which closes
off any possibility of dialogue or persuasion.
Beyond measuring doses of OTC (over-the-counter) medicines, there are few
activities in the everyday lives of most people in which measurement standards
really matter. What matters (as in driving, for example) is that the units be
consistently used (speed and distance units should be from the same system or
collection of units).
I never suggested or implied that we should build houses using some
hypothetical measurement system based on arms (my arm or anyone else's). But
it would be needlessly complicated to use my metric tape measure or metric
folding carpenter's rule when doing work on my house (which was built to
inch-foot standards) when my 25' tape measure and 6' folding carpenter's rule
will yield more rational and comprehensible figures when measuring the
structure.
-- Jason
----- Original Message -----
From: "Paul Trusten, R.Ph." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Cc: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, April 21, 2007 8:03 AM
Subject: [USMA:38472] Re: Unexpected appearance of SI in US media
> Then, they should awaken. Why not go back to anatomical "standards?" I'll be a
> carpenter and build a house with dimensions based on arms, but I'll use the
> length of MY arm. To refer to a standard-related measuring device is a
> scientific approach.
>
> Quoting James Jason Wentworth <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
>
>> Many people even in metric countries (cooks, carpenters, plumbers, etc.)
>> don't consider *all* measurement scientific. -- Jason
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Paul Trusten
>> To: U.S. Metric Association
>> Cc: U.S. Metric Association
>> Sent: Friday, April 20, 2007 8:25 PM
>> Subject: [USMA:38468] Re: Unexpected appearance of SI in US media
>>
>>
>> Ezra, I wish I could share your optimism in these two instances, but I
>> think that these examples you cited mean something else.
>>
>> The grieving woman was using "centimeters" as a superlative, not as a
>> descriptor. She would probably also say, "Gone in a nanosecond," borrowing
>> from the SI, but not embracing it.
>>
>> The CNN piece may have started out with the present consciousness of the
>> U.S. "man in the street" (inch-pound), as the media often does. But the
>> second half of the presentation may have been science-oriented, and I sense
>> that reporters use metric only to emphasize what they believe to be
>> "scientific" content. They have not adopted the perception that we USMA
>> members and metricationists have, that all measurement is scientific, and
>> should be dignified, wherever it occurs, with the use of the SI.
>>
>> Paul
