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  3. Do you think in metric?

Do you think in metric?

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  • H Henry Minute

    BBC News story[^]. I'm a bit of a mixed bag on this, like so much of my life (e.g. In cricket I bowl left-handed but bat right-handed). I tend to purchase in imperial but when cooking something such as a cake I work in metric units. I suspect that younger members, at least, would be mostly, if not entirely, metric. Except, of course, for the good old Pint of Pig's.

    Henry Minute Do not read medical books! You could die of a misprint. - Mark Twain Girl: (staring) "Why do you need an icy cucumber?" “I want to report a fraud. The government is lying to us all.” I wouldn't let CG touch my Abacus! When you're wrestling a gorilla, you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is.

    M Offline
    M Offline
    Maximilien
    wrote on last edited by
    #6

    I'm about 50-50. Pool water temperature in F, air temperature in C. Personal weight in pound, height in meter (and cm). food stuff, mostly in metric, except the beer pint or butter (1 pound butter) Distance in km, but ski resort heights ( dénivellation) in feet (looks better on paper) Floor plan area in squera-feet (don't think I ever went bigger than that). Construction measurements in metric (can't stand the weird imperial fractions) ...

    Watched code never compiles.

    L 1 Reply Last reply
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    • H Henry Minute

      BBC News story[^]. I'm a bit of a mixed bag on this, like so much of my life (e.g. In cricket I bowl left-handed but bat right-handed). I tend to purchase in imperial but when cooking something such as a cake I work in metric units. I suspect that younger members, at least, would be mostly, if not entirely, metric. Except, of course, for the good old Pint of Pig's.

      Henry Minute Do not read medical books! You could die of a misprint. - Mark Twain Girl: (staring) "Why do you need an icy cucumber?" “I want to report a fraud. The government is lying to us all.” I wouldn't let CG touch my Abacus! When you're wrestling a gorilla, you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is.

      R Offline
      R Offline
      R Giskard Reventlov
      wrote on last edited by
      #7

      What is 'metric'? I only know of Imperial. :)

      "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." Red Adair. nils illegitimus carborundum me, me, me

      D 1 Reply Last reply
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      • H Henry Minute

        BBC News story[^]. I'm a bit of a mixed bag on this, like so much of my life (e.g. In cricket I bowl left-handed but bat right-handed). I tend to purchase in imperial but when cooking something such as a cake I work in metric units. I suspect that younger members, at least, would be mostly, if not entirely, metric. Except, of course, for the good old Pint of Pig's.

        Henry Minute Do not read medical books! You could die of a misprint. - Mark Twain Girl: (staring) "Why do you need an icy cucumber?" “I want to report a fraud. The government is lying to us all.” I wouldn't let CG touch my Abacus! When you're wrestling a gorilla, you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is.

        C Offline
        C Offline
        Corporal Agarn
        wrote on last edited by
        #8

        Be like NASA and mix it up. Then you can blame problems on it. mix up[^] (Note this was the first hit on SearchGeek)

        1 Reply Last reply
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        • H Henry Minute

          BBC News story[^]. I'm a bit of a mixed bag on this, like so much of my life (e.g. In cricket I bowl left-handed but bat right-handed). I tend to purchase in imperial but when cooking something such as a cake I work in metric units. I suspect that younger members, at least, would be mostly, if not entirely, metric. Except, of course, for the good old Pint of Pig's.

          Henry Minute Do not read medical books! You could die of a misprint. - Mark Twain Girl: (staring) "Why do you need an icy cucumber?" “I want to report a fraud. The government is lying to us all.” I wouldn't let CG touch my Abacus! When you're wrestling a gorilla, you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is.

          OriginalGriffO Offline
          OriginalGriffO Offline
          OriginalGriff
          wrote on last edited by
          #9

          I use Imperial for medium distance (1/2 mile up to a couple of thousand miles), then kilometers for large scale, and metres for short scale. When I am measuring, I use mm by preference, unless I want higher accuracy, in which case I switch back to imperial (my imperial stuff measures in 32ths and 64ths, which my metric stuff can't get near - 1mm or 1/2mm is as small as it goes). Except my height - that's Imperial. In fluids, I think of pints of milk and beer, but all cooking liquids are millilitres. The car gets filled with litres, but I work out consumption in MPG. In weights, I use stones for myself, kilos for the cat and grammes for everything else! I am 28 in Mars years.

          Ideological Purity is no substitute for being able to stick your thumb down a pipe to stop the water

          "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
          "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

          1 Reply Last reply
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          • M Maximilien

            I'm about 50-50. Pool water temperature in F, air temperature in C. Personal weight in pound, height in meter (and cm). food stuff, mostly in metric, except the beer pint or butter (1 pound butter) Distance in km, but ski resort heights ( dénivellation) in feet (looks better on paper) Floor plan area in squera-feet (don't think I ever went bigger than that). Construction measurements in metric (can't stand the weird imperial fractions) ...

            Watched code never compiles.

            L Offline
            L Offline
            Lost User
            wrote on last edited by
            #10

            Maximilien wrote:

            Pool water temperature in F, air temperature in C.

            It is said the English use Fahrenheit for warm temperatures and Celsius / Centigrade for cold ones. "It's 97 degrees today". "It's -2 out there". That sort of thing. I think I am exclusively on the C scale.

            Every man can tell how many goats or sheep he possesses, but not how many friends.

            S 1 Reply Last reply
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            • H Henry Minute

              BBC News story[^]. I'm a bit of a mixed bag on this, like so much of my life (e.g. In cricket I bowl left-handed but bat right-handed). I tend to purchase in imperial but when cooking something such as a cake I work in metric units. I suspect that younger members, at least, would be mostly, if not entirely, metric. Except, of course, for the good old Pint of Pig's.

              Henry Minute Do not read medical books! You could die of a misprint. - Mark Twain Girl: (staring) "Why do you need an icy cucumber?" “I want to report a fraud. The government is lying to us all.” I wouldn't let CG touch my Abacus! When you're wrestling a gorilla, you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is.

              T Offline
              T Offline
              TorstenH
              wrote on last edited by
              #11

              Metric is a European think. Nothing to bother about for the English.

              regards Torsten When I'm not working

              D OriginalGriffO 2 Replies Last reply
              0
              • H Henry Minute

                BBC News story[^]. I'm a bit of a mixed bag on this, like so much of my life (e.g. In cricket I bowl left-handed but bat right-handed). I tend to purchase in imperial but when cooking something such as a cake I work in metric units. I suspect that younger members, at least, would be mostly, if not entirely, metric. Except, of course, for the good old Pint of Pig's.

                Henry Minute Do not read medical books! You could die of a misprint. - Mark Twain Girl: (staring) "Why do you need an icy cucumber?" “I want to report a fraud. The government is lying to us all.” I wouldn't let CG touch my Abacus! When you're wrestling a gorilla, you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is.

                D Offline
                D Offline
                Dalek Dave
                wrote on last edited by
                #12

                Strangely enough I was discussing this in the pub the other day. I think imperial for speeds and distance, buy foodstuffs in imperial, drink in imperial and know my height and weight in imperial. This is because we live in an imperial universe, there is no metric universe. 365 days a year, 12 months, 360 degrees etc. I remember old money, (Just about, I must be one of the youngest people who can remember spending it). 12 pennies to the shilling, 20 shillings to the pound.

                ------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave CCC Link[^] Trolls[^]

                OriginalGriffO 1 Reply Last reply
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                • T TorstenH

                  Metric is a European think. Nothing to bother about for the English.

                  regards Torsten When I'm not working

                  D Offline
                  D Offline
                  Dalek Dave
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #13

                  Invented by unemployed french hairdressers after the revolution.

                  ------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave CCC Link[^] Trolls[^]

                  OriginalGriffO 1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • T TorstenH

                    Metric is a European think. Nothing to bother about for the English.

                    regards Torsten When I'm not working

                    OriginalGriffO Offline
                    OriginalGriffO Offline
                    OriginalGriff
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #14

                    Um. There are only three countries in the world who have not officially adopted the metric system: Burma, Liberia and the United States

                    Ideological Purity is no substitute for being able to stick your thumb down a pipe to stop the water

                    "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                    "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                    D T 2 Replies Last reply
                    0
                    • D Dalek Dave

                      Strangely enough I was discussing this in the pub the other day. I think imperial for speeds and distance, buy foodstuffs in imperial, drink in imperial and know my height and weight in imperial. This is because we live in an imperial universe, there is no metric universe. 365 days a year, 12 months, 360 degrees etc. I remember old money, (Just about, I must be one of the youngest people who can remember spending it). 12 pennies to the shilling, 20 shillings to the pound.

                      ------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave CCC Link[^] Trolls[^]

                      OriginalGriffO Offline
                      OriginalGriffO Offline
                      OriginalGriff
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #15

                      What happened to the Groat! Or the Farthing? Guinea? Crown? Did you forget them? :laugh:

                      Ideological Purity is no substitute for being able to stick your thumb down a pipe to stop the water

                      "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                      "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                      D 1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • H Henry Minute

                        BBC News story[^]. I'm a bit of a mixed bag on this, like so much of my life (e.g. In cricket I bowl left-handed but bat right-handed). I tend to purchase in imperial but when cooking something such as a cake I work in metric units. I suspect that younger members, at least, would be mostly, if not entirely, metric. Except, of course, for the good old Pint of Pig's.

                        Henry Minute Do not read medical books! You could die of a misprint. - Mark Twain Girl: (staring) "Why do you need an icy cucumber?" “I want to report a fraud. The government is lying to us all.” I wouldn't let CG touch my Abacus! When you're wrestling a gorilla, you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is.

                        W Offline
                        W Offline
                        W Balboos GHB
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #16

                        Metric, powers of ten, is a result of having ten fingers to count on. Great idea . . . until the computer age. Why you ask? And rightly so. I must needs give you an example: Let's start with the humble ounce.

                        4 ounces = gill = 22 [00000100]    8 ounces = cup = 23 [00001000]   16 ounces = pint* = 24 [00010000]   32 ounces = quart = 25 [00100000]  128 ounces = gallon = 27 [10000000] Similarly, quarts, pecks, and bushels are powers of 2.

                        Clearly a perfect match for computer logic, using int's instead of floats, and thereby exact (& faster) calculations. Obviously, it's long past overdue that we change back. * A beloved Unit to many, particularly after a long day's work.

                        "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

                        "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert

                        "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

                        L OriginalGriffO H 3 Replies Last reply
                        0
                        • W W Balboos GHB

                          Metric, powers of ten, is a result of having ten fingers to count on. Great idea . . . until the computer age. Why you ask? And rightly so. I must needs give you an example: Let's start with the humble ounce.

                          4 ounces = gill = 22 [00000100]    8 ounces = cup = 23 [00001000]   16 ounces = pint* = 24 [00010000]   32 ounces = quart = 25 [00100000]  128 ounces = gallon = 27 [10000000] Similarly, quarts, pecks, and bushels are powers of 2.

                          Clearly a perfect match for computer logic, using int's instead of floats, and thereby exact (& faster) calculations. Obviously, it's long past overdue that we change back. * A beloved Unit to many, particularly after a long day's work.

                          "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

                          "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert

                          "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

                          L Offline
                          L Offline
                          Lost User
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #17

                          Ok, however this:

                          W∴ Balboos wrote:

                          Clearly a perfect match for computer logic, using int's instead of floats, and thereby exact (& faster) calculations.

                          makes no sense. The float is not for metric (but you can use it for that), and definitely not for decimal, which it sucks at. It actually implements the system you describe there, but extended to much smaller and much higher exponents, and with places after the binary mark (like the decimal mark, only for binary). Besides, floats aren't much slower these days (ok fp addition is slower), in fact for division they're faster.

                          1 Reply Last reply
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                          • D Dalek Dave

                            Invented by unemployed french hairdressers after the revolution.

                            ------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave CCC Link[^] Trolls[^]

                            OriginalGriffO Offline
                            OriginalGriffO Offline
                            OriginalGriff
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #18

                            Not so: the metric system was proposed in 1670 by Gabriel Mouton. The revolution was over one hundred years later. In fact, the metrification of France was well underway when the Revolution began. Two men were busy measuring the meter by calculating the length of the Paris meridian when the Revolution started. There is a very good book on this journey: The Measure of All Things[^] - worth a read.

                            Ideological Purity is no substitute for being able to stick your thumb down a pipe to stop the water

                            "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                            "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                              Um. There are only three countries in the world who have not officially adopted the metric system: Burma, Liberia and the United States

                              Ideological Purity is no substitute for being able to stick your thumb down a pipe to stop the water

                              D Offline
                              D Offline
                              Dario Solera
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #19

                              OriginalGriff wrote:

                              Burma, Liberia and the United States

                              Is that for real? I mean, just three?

                              If you truly believe you need to pick a mobile phone that "says something" about your personality, don't bother. You don't have a personality. A mental illness, maybe, but not a personality. [Charlie Brooker] ScrewTurn Wiki, Software Localization Tools & Services and My Blog

                              OriginalGriffO 1 Reply Last reply
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                              • H Henry Minute

                                BBC News story[^]. I'm a bit of a mixed bag on this, like so much of my life (e.g. In cricket I bowl left-handed but bat right-handed). I tend to purchase in imperial but when cooking something such as a cake I work in metric units. I suspect that younger members, at least, would be mostly, if not entirely, metric. Except, of course, for the good old Pint of Pig's.

                                Henry Minute Do not read medical books! You could die of a misprint. - Mark Twain Girl: (staring) "Why do you need an icy cucumber?" “I want to report a fraud. The government is lying to us all.” I wouldn't let CG touch my Abacus! When you're wrestling a gorilla, you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is.

                                G Offline
                                G Offline
                                Gizz
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #20

                                I found when putting up shelves over the weekend that I was happy using whichever side of the ruler came up first. 30cm one side, 12 inches the other. What could possibly go wrong? Weirdly my spirit level said that things weren't straight. Clearly the spirit level, being antique, was out of calibration. Wife and daughter subsequently commented shelves sloping. Obviously both been at the gin. :D

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • H Henry Minute

                                  BBC News story[^]. I'm a bit of a mixed bag on this, like so much of my life (e.g. In cricket I bowl left-handed but bat right-handed). I tend to purchase in imperial but when cooking something such as a cake I work in metric units. I suspect that younger members, at least, would be mostly, if not entirely, metric. Except, of course, for the good old Pint of Pig's.

                                  Henry Minute Do not read medical books! You could die of a misprint. - Mark Twain Girl: (staring) "Why do you need an icy cucumber?" “I want to report a fraud. The government is lying to us all.” I wouldn't let CG touch my Abacus! When you're wrestling a gorilla, you don't stop when you're tired, you stop when the gorilla is.

                                  H Offline
                                  H Offline
                                  hairy_hats
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #21

                                  A real mixture of the two. I've only been educated in metric but think a lot in Imperial - people's heights and weights in metric mean nothing to me.

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • W W Balboos GHB

                                    Metric, powers of ten, is a result of having ten fingers to count on. Great idea . . . until the computer age. Why you ask? And rightly so. I must needs give you an example: Let's start with the humble ounce.

                                    4 ounces = gill = 22 [00000100]    8 ounces = cup = 23 [00001000]   16 ounces = pint* = 24 [00010000]   32 ounces = quart = 25 [00100000]  128 ounces = gallon = 27 [10000000] Similarly, quarts, pecks, and bushels are powers of 2.

                                    Clearly a perfect match for computer logic, using int's instead of floats, and thereby exact (& faster) calculations. Obviously, it's long past overdue that we change back. * A beloved Unit to many, particularly after a long day's work.

                                    "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

                                    "As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error." - Weisert

                                    "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

                                    OriginalGriffO Offline
                                    OriginalGriffO Offline
                                    OriginalGriff
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #22

                                    And how many Pounds are there to a Stone?

                                    Ideological Purity is no substitute for being able to stick your thumb down a pipe to stop the water

                                    "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
                                    "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

                                    L W H realJSOPR 4 Replies Last reply
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                                    • R R Giskard Reventlov

                                      What is 'metric'? I only know of Imperial. :)

                                      "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." Red Adair. nils illegitimus carborundum me, me, me

                                      D Offline
                                      D Offline
                                      Dalek Dave
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #23

                                      Proper unit of speed Here[^] Area[^] Volume[^] Mass[^] Time[^] Ionising Radiation Dose[^] Depth of fluid.[^]

                                      ------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave CCC Link[^] Trolls[^]

                                      B 1 Reply Last reply
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                                      • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                                        What happened to the Groat! Or the Farthing? Guinea? Crown? Did you forget them? :laugh:

                                        Ideological Purity is no substitute for being able to stick your thumb down a pipe to stop the water

                                        D Offline
                                        D Offline
                                        Dalek Dave
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #24

                                        I leave that as a research exercise.

                                        ------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave CCC Link[^] Trolls[^]

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                                        • OriginalGriffO OriginalGriff

                                          And how many Pounds are there to a Stone?

                                          Ideological Purity is no substitute for being able to stick your thumb down a pipe to stop the water

                                          L Offline
                                          L Offline
                                          Lost User
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #25

                                          Depends which shop window you throw the stone through and how fast you can run.

                                          Every man can tell how many goats or sheep he possesses, but not how many friends.

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