Having used Imperial for a very long time, prior to Metrication, I was pleased when in the 70's the UK went Metric.

Mathematical calculations using Imperial units was an absolute nightmare.

I completely agree on the merits of metric over imperial, but that's completely beside the point. I just opposed the government criminalizing the use of imperial by those that, for whatever reason, want to choose to use it. Just as I would oppose the government criminalizing metric.

 

I completely agree on the merits of metric over imperial, but that's completely beside the point. I just opposed the government criminalizing the use of imperial by those that, for whatever reason, want to choose to use it. Just as I would oppose the government criminalizing metric.

Agreed. In fact, establishing and maintaining metrological standards should probably be the sole function -- if even that -- of a government.

Metrological fraud (i.e. tampering with measures) should be handled via the tort (justice) system.

 

I just opposed the government criminalizing the use of imperial by those that, for whatever reason, want to choose to use it. Just as I would oppose the government criminalizing metric.

I would agree.

 

Having used Imperial for a very long time, prior to Metrication, I was pleased when in the 70's the UK went Metric.

Mathematical calculations using Imperial units was an absolute nightmare.

Good thing is that when talking to my friend in Liverpool, she understands very well when I tell we are having 38º C. Better leave it like that.

The first nautical charts produced abroad I met were those by the British Admiralty. Besides looking nice (not relevant, I know), they were very good, including the system to keep them updated until delivered on board.

It was a surprise for many when UK decided to make them metric. The practical side of things seemed to prevail over tradition.

BTW, pity I did not keep more of the old ones; they made incredibly beautiful table lamp shades and book covers, even if exhibiting manual corrections by neat 2nd mates on board.

I recall using one showing the mouth of the Bonny River (Nigeria) as the cover of a manual I used for years. The good thing is that around 15 years ago I disembarked from a vessel, precisely there, near the landfall buoy in the offing and navigated until Onne Port in one fast narrow canoe.

Sure I will never forget the incredible experience of going upriver river during the sunset with the last hour in the dark.

So much for technicalities... Sorry.

 

Having used Imperial for a very long time, prior to Metrication, I was pleased when in the 70's the UK went Metric.

Mathematical calculations using Imperial units was an absolute nightmare.

It still amuses me that PROMetric people claim that the base 10 system of metric is so much easier than the pound and ounce system. Then they go to the deli and order 1/4 kg of sliced ham. Nice use of base 10.

 

It still amuses me that PROMetric people claim that the base 10 system of metric is so much easier than the pound and ounce system. Then they go to the deli and order 1/4 kg of sliced ham. Nice use of base 10.

Saying "Gimme 250g of head cheese" sounds far too clinical.

 

Saying "Gimme 250g of head cheese" sounds far too clinical.

if they want a system that works on halves and quarters, why not stick with ounces, cups, pints, quarts, ...

In the time I spent in Europe, I've seen very few people order 100, 200, 300 or 400 grams of anything. They seem to order, 500 grams, 250 grams, or even 125 grams at the deli - the metric system is logical when people hear about it but the imperial system is usable and works how people think.

 

As with most things, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The metric system is better in some (many) regards, while the imperial system is better in some (relatively few) regards. But it is pretty easy to apply "how people think" to the metric system since most people can divide 1000 by 2, 4, and 8 pretty handily. The need for 1/16 and 1/32 is pretty rare, with pint/oz possibly being the most common situation other than fractional inches. The reverse is not true, it is hard to apply the benefits of the metric system to the imperial system in most circumstances.

 

As with most things, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The metric system is better in some (many) regards, while the imperial system is better in some (relatively few) regards. But it is pretty easy to apply "how people think" to the metric system since most people can divide 1000 by 2, 4, and 8 pretty handily. The need for 1/16 and 1/32 is pretty rare, with pint/oz possibly being the most common situation other than fractional inches. The reverse is not true, it is hard to apply the benefits of the metric system to the imperial system in most circumstances.

What are you trying to say? Are you saying... Im not even going to guess because my guess would contradict your previous posts on the subject. I simply dont know what you are trying to say in this latest post.

 

What are you trying to say? Are you saying... Im not even going to guess because my guess would contradict your previous posts on the subject. I simply dont know what you are trying to say in this latest post.

Where did I say that the choice between metric or imperial is a one-size-fits-all solution?

What is so hard to comprehend about the notion that each choice has pros and cons?

Where did I say that this was not the case?

 

“In metric, one milliliter of water occupies one cubic centimeter, weighs one gram, and requires one calorie of energy to heat up by one degree centigrade—which is 1 percent of the difference between its freezing point and its boiling point. An amount of hydrogen weighing the same amount has exactly one mole of atoms in it. Whereas in the American system, the answer to ‘How much energy does it take to boil a room-temperature gallon of water?’ is ‘Go f*ck yourself,’ because you can’t directly relate any of those quantities.” Wild Thing by Josh Bazell.

Too bad UK is leaving, no more cheap stuff from UK webshops.

 

‘How much energy does it take to boil a room-temperature gallon of water?’

2264.76 J/g or 541.29 cal/g at 100°C.

The "unitary" model kinda breaks down at that point, whether in gallons or grams.

 

[QUOTE="ISB123, post: 1035183, member: 239921]An amount of hydrogen weighing the same amount has exactly one mole of atoms in it.[/QUOTE]

Weighing the same amount as what? One gram?

Not true on three counts.

First, hydrogen is a diatomic molecule, so a mole of hydrogen (without any specific qualification, the default is the naturally occuring form) has two times Avogadro's number of atoms in it. But even if you meant monotonic hydrogen (assuming you could prepare it as anything other than a hellatiously hot plasma, which would also mean that the electron will have been disassociated from it), one mole of monotonic hydrogen consisting of one proton and one electron for each atom would mass nearly 1% more than one gram due to the mass that is lost in the bonding energy as you go from hydrogen to carbon-12 (upon which the current definition of the mole is based and has been for right at half a century -- it was oxygen-16 before that and you have to go back before that to get to a hydrogen definition). It's even just a slight bit more since naturally occurring hydrogen includes trace amounts of deuterium and tritium.

 

“An amount of hydrogen weighing the same amount has exactly about one mole of atoms in it.

Minor error. Let me know if you want an explanation.

 

Wild Thing by Josh Bazell.

it is not shocking that a writer can be so challenged;

it is shocking that there are people out there believing in such a writer.

 

it is shocking that there are people out there believing in such a writer.

But it's OK to believe in Ayn Rand? It's amazing what some people will believe in.

 

But it's OK to believe in Ayn Rand? It's amazing what some people will believe in.

If you don't "believe in Ayn Rand" then you need to look around you.

 

...believe in Ayn Rand

Ayn Rand would take issue with this statement. She has never asked anyone to believe, or have faith, in her -- or anything else for that matter.

 

Ayn Rand would take issue with this statement. She has never asked anyone to believe, or have faith, in her -- or anything else for that matter.

I agree. That was not my phrasing but came from post #456. I do believe that Ayn Rand got a lot right as evidenced by all of the government overreach (power grab).

I wish I could remember where I saw it recently but there was something in the news that was _very_ much like the "dog eat dog" law in Atlas Shrugged.

A Google of "level play field legislation in news" is quite sobering/scary.

 

Ok, back to thread topic ( again).

Yesterday, a U.K. Court said, (paraphrasing): "the children had their opinion poll, now the adults must vote."

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/04/world/europe/uk-brexit-vote-parliament.html?_r=0

I guessing Parliament will not allow the boat to be named "Boaty McBoatface".