[Someone1234]

That's just a blatant rationalisation because people don't like change. There's nothing natural about understanding either metric or imperial, so suggesting that humans inherently are born with more understanding of one is silly.

Metric only wins in my book because it is much easier to convert units (there are no magic numbers for conversion factors). However I'd laugh at anyone who suggest metric is better because people inherently internalise it better, just as I laugh at people who suggest the same for imperial.

The US should switch, there are no legitimate arguments against it except perhaps [short term] costs. Certainly not "because F is easier to understand." It is only easier because you grew up with it and are used to it...

[coderzach]

> However I'd laugh at anyone who suggest metric is better because people inherently internalise it better

I disagree. Once you've been taught a base ten counting system, units that change based on orders of magnitude is very easy to understand. Since almost everyone has a base ten counting system internalized, metric is MUCH easier.

[finnh]

But 12 is evenly divisible in thirds and quarters. Actually pretty useful for a bunch of things. Really it's just too bad we have 10 fingers instead of 12.

[anigbrowl]

Yep, but 10 fingers is what most of us have. I like 12 too but unless you can persuade people to start counting in astrological symbols instead of decimal digits then metric is the way to go.

[moron4hire]

I think, if you don't even know that the US doesn't use "Imperial" units, but that the system of units is actually called "US Customary", then you don't know enough about systems of units to be able to comment on the issue.

Don't get me wrong, I like the metric system. But US Customary units aren't that hard to deal with. Seriously, we're software developers, we don't memorize shit. We create type definitions and routines to convert between them.

The same arguments you make for why it's not that big of a deal to switch are the same arguments for why it's not that big of a deal to not switch.

[enraged_camel]

>>There's nothing natural about understanding either metric or imperial

That's not true at all. The metric system is more intuitive because it is a Base 10 system, which is very intuitive and natural for humans because we have ten fingers. Base 10 also makes things a lot easier because calculations are simply a matter of adding/removing zeroes/decimals.

[Rusky]

10 fingers/base 10 isn't inherently any more "natural." There are cultures that use(d) base 12 (and count using the 12 finger segments on one hand) and probably others.

And base 12 is way more divisible.

[rquantz]

And yet, the US will never convert to a system of measurement invented by the French. Remember freedom fries?

[rquantz]

I'm not allowed to edit this anymore, so let me reply instead. To those downvoting I ask: do you think this comment wasn't serious? You think there aren't at least 47 senators who would filibuster a bill to, say, convert the US highway signs to metric because it's "unamerican"?

[mitchty]

Well to be sure we were going down that route. Then Reagan got elected. Take that what you will.