Dear Mike,
I have heard a rumor that Boeing are moving their manufacturing back
to the USA so that they do not have to train people to use the old pre-
metric measures. However, they still have two issues to face.
Firstly, the old pre-metric measures are not a system; they are simply
a random collection based on many different arts, crafts, and
professions collected over random times through history. The first and
only system for measurement was the one described by John Wilkins in
1668 for a 'universal measure' that evolved into the metric system. In
fact, the name metre and the adjective metric come from the
translation of John Wilkins, 'universal measure' into the Italian
(Latin) 'metro cattolico' by Burattini in 1675. This one page sheet
should show you the first problem that Boeing must resolve: http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/SIMetricUnitsVsUSAMeasures.pdf
The second problem that Boeing must solve is the attempt to retrofit
the random collection of old pre-metric measures with the decimal
property from the metric system. This attempt at reverse engineering
is in line with previous attempts to somehow form the old rag-tag
collection into a system. I recall failed attempts such as the foot-
pound-second, foot-poundal-second, and the foot-slug-second where
these so-called 'systems' only covered a very limited group of
physical properties that were only used in some branches of physics
and engineering. They were never intended to be used in other areas
such as medicine, chemistry, or commerce. However, it is the
decimalisation issue that Boeing must face. See http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/USADecimalisationAndMetrication.pdf
for some thoughts on this. Personally, I don't think that they will
ever succeed with this decimalisation as they don't have the advantage
of the prefix component of the metric system first suggested by Prieur
in France and then developed by the Dutchman, Van Swinden.
Basically, I think that all attempts at hiding the metric system from
the public will fail (my initial email is at the bottom of this post).
Metrication is inevitable and our only decision is whether we will
adopt the metric system quickly, smoothly, and economically, or
whether we will choose a path that is painfully slow, bitterly fought,
and extremely expensive.
Cheers,
Pat Naughtin
Geelong, Australia
On 2009/01/26, at 3:42 AM, Michael Payne wrote:
The ones I know about that actually sell products made to metric
dimensions here in the US are the 3 US Automakers, GM, Ford &
Chrysler, John Deere and Caterpillar Earthmoving equipment, the
latter even buy sheet steel to millimeter thickness here in the US
so they can get the same steel worldwide. I'm sure there are many
more, all the foreign automakers who set up factories here in the US
are totally metric.
If you want to sell something worldwide you have to make it with
metric nuts and bolts or you'll never get a repeat customer. Boeing
uses decimal inches and I've heard of problems they've had getting
work done in China because they had to teach the Chinese what an
inch was.
Mike Payne
----- Original Message -----
From: Jeremiah MacGregor
To: U.S. Metric Association
Sent: Sunday, 25 January 2009 05:36
Subject: [USMA:42485] Re: A thin veneer of dishonesty
Bill,
So how many American companies out there are making products in
metric in secret then dumbing them down for the public? Are
statistics like this available somewhere?
Jerry
From: Bill Potts <[email protected]>
To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2009 2:48:07 PM
Subject: [USMA:42463] Re: A thin veneer of dishonesty
Jerry:
They design and built in metric because it's more economical and is
a worldwide standard. Many of them (e.g., Ford, GM) have overseas
subsidiaries, too.
They advertise in metric because they apparently believe it's
necessary to dumb things down for the American public. What they
don't realize is that, if there were a dumb person who knew neither
SI metric nor US Customary, it would be easier to teach him/her the
former.
Bill
Bill Potts
WFP Consulting
Roseville, CA
http://metric1.org [SI Navigator]
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On
Behalf Of Jeremiah MacGregor
Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2009 10:13
To: U.S. Metric Association
Subject: [USMA:42451] Re: A thin veneer of dishonesty
Pat,
Are you sure about all this metric being used in the USA? Why would
a company go to the bother of using metric units in production just
to hide them from other companies and the public? Where do you get
your information?
Jerry
From: Pat Naughtin <[email protected]>
To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]>
Cc: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2009 5:01:37 PM
Subject: [USMA:42408] A thin veneer of dishonesty
On 2009/01/23, at 7:55 AM, STANLEY DOORE wrote:
During the 1970s, the NOAA National Weather Service planned to
make conversion to the SI and to begin purchasing observation
sensors and readouts in metric. So the NWS is ready to convert to
metric in the public arena when The Congress and the President
desire.
Weather forecasts have been computed in metric since the late
1950s so changes in output need to be made for presentation to the
public. Aviation uses metric in international aviation now. Going
metric in weather, including satellite images, would simplify and
streamline the whole operation. The weather information system is
ready to go metric.
Stan Doore
Dear Stan,
The more I look at metrication in the USA the more I see that the
USA is now so substantially metric that all that remains is to
remove the thin veneer of dishonesty. Let me give some example. I
will start with yours.
1 The NOAA National Weather Service now collects, records, and
calculates using SI metric units, then reports to the public in old
pre-metric measures.
2 Nasa designs builds and flies spacecraft using metric units
for measurement and then reports their successes or failures in old
pre-metric measures for the public.
3 All cars, trucks, tractors, and motor bikes are designed and
constructed using all metric units then the tyre pressure, the
speedometer, and the odometer are then dumbed down to psi, mph, and
ml.
4 Computers have their circuits, cases, and screens designed and
made using nanometres, micrometres, and millimetres and then they
are not only sold as the 17" model but software default settings are
provided in inches that are subdivided in halves, quarters, and
eighths of inches.
5 International trade is carried out using the International
System of Units (SI) because that is the only way to deal with all
other nations. Then the market figures are dumbed down for the
citizens of the USA to old measures such as barrels with variable
capacity and constructions such as MMBThUpmon (million million
British Thermal Units per month).
6 Much military training in the USA is designed and presented
using metric units because military hardware is increasingly all
metric and military personnel serve in nations outside the USA that
have already upgraded to the metric system many years ago.
7 All medical services are soundly based on body measurements
and test results that use the metric system. The dishonest people
actively seek to change the mass of babies from grams to pounds,
ounces, and fractions of ounces, and to change millilitres of
treatment into teaspoons and dessertspoons.
8 Last, but not least, almost all length measuring is done using
the metric inch (of exactly 25.4 millimetres), the metric foot (of
exactly 304.8 millimetres) and the metric mile (of exactly 1609.344
metres). Meanwhile, almost all mass measurements are carried out
using the metric pound (of exactly 453.5924 grams).
Basically the USA is — right now — almost all metric but some
citizens choose to hide this fact from themselves using techniques
that are basically dishonest. The sad part of this thin veneer of
dishonesty is the cost to all citizens in the USA, see the article,
Costs of non-metrication in the USA at http://www.metricationmatters.com/docs/CostOfNonMetrication.pdf
Cheers,
Pat Naughtin
PO Box 305 Belmont 3216,
Geelong, Australia
Phone: 61 3 5241 2008
Metric system consultant, writer, and speaker, Pat Naughtin, has
helped thousands of people and hundreds of companies upgrade to the
modern metric system smoothly, quickly, and so economically that they
now save thousands each year when buying, processing, or selling for
their businesses. Pat provides services and resources for many
different trades, crafts, and professions for commercial, industrial
and government metrication leaders in Asia, Europe, and in the USA.
Pat's clients include the Australian Government, Google, NASA, NIST,
and the metric associations of Canada, the UK, and the USA. See http://www.metricationmatters.com
for more metrication information, contact Pat at [email protected]
or to get the free 'Metrication matters' newsletter go to: http://www.metricationmatters.com/newsletter
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