How to measure in feet,not meters.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by SailRN

Sarchasm (n): The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

Keep working on that sarcastic wit. You're half way there

[rgleason]

Has anyone entered a RFE Request for Enhancement into Tracker/flyspray, that others could vote for? I notice that features that are vetted and make their way into the vetted list are generally the ones selected to be implemented.

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by Tehani

On the other hand, in the metric system, 1 kilometer is 1000 meters, 1 meter is 100 centimeters, and also 1000 millimeters. Round numbers, without complications in divisors and multiples. The justification for the existence of this unit of measurement (meter) was also related to the size of our planet. People's feet usually have very different sizes ... We do not know which man or woman imposed their foot as a unit of measurement.

OK, this thread has drifted enough now where I'm comfortable digressing into a personal observation / rant.

A meter means no more to me than a foot or a yard. In fact, someones foot or the length of the king's arm measured from his nose to fingertip is probably far more relatable than some fraction of the circumference of the Earth. I still pace off distance in feet and measure lines by stretching out my arm on each coil.

As for the argument that the math is simpler, I disagree. There's a reason we in the IT field work in binary, octal or hexadecimal.

Due solely to an unfortunate quirk of biology, we decided on base 10 for our number system. 10 is only divisible by 2 and 5. 12 would have been a far better choice; it's divisible by 2, 3, 4 and 6. The math in base 8, 12 or even 16 would have been easier. But that's beyond our control now.

In day-to-day measurements, our brains are wired to think in ones, twos and threes, halves or thirds, and doubling or tripling. Quartering and quadrupling is also easy because that's just half a half or two two's. Beyond that we need the crutch of a numbering system.

It's intuitive and natural to think of two cups in a pint, two pints in a quart, two quarts in a half-gallon, two half gallons in a gallon, etc.

And, there's 8 ounces in a cup. Again, easy to halve or quarter.

The imperial system was developed by billions of people over the course of millennia to meet their daily needs. It can be argued that the metric system is an artificial, elitist construct designed more to prove the superiority of one's political or educational status than for any practical reason.

[Tehani]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

As for the argument that the math is simpler, I disagree. There's a reason we in the IT field work in binary, octal or hexadecimal.
...
Due solely to an unfortunate quirk of biology, we decided on base 10 for our number system. 10 is only divisible by 2 and 5. 12 would have been a far better choice; it's divisible by 2, 3, 4 and 6. The math in base 8, 12 or even 16 would have been easier. But that's beyond our control now.
...
The imperial system was developed by billions of people over the course of millennia to meet their daily needs. It can be argued that the metric system is an artificial, elitist construct designed more to prove the superiority of one's political or educational status than for any practical reason.

Okay, it's summer, vacation and our body and brain are somewhat overheated ...

Yes, surely the extraterrestrial technology has evolved better because according to what they say, they have 4 fingers on their hands.

History is full of paradoxes about units. And a very clear example involves investigating the origin of a circumference having 360 degrees, or 24-hour days. What happens is that in these cases we do not argue because both on one side of the Atlantic and on the other, we use the same convention.

And now, if we analyze the interiorities (units) of NMEA2000, we realize that we would kill those of the National Marine Electronics Association.

[P_Dub]

Keep working on that sarcastic wit. You're half way there.
Well, who has decided that there was 90 degree between the equator and the pole. This was also arbitrary. All size and length were in some way like it. Why not 100 degree between the equator and the pole? So, your multiple are more 0.0. Further more, has anybody actually measure with your metre ruler the distance between the equator and the pole?
So long.

[requiem]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

The imperial system was developed by billions of people over the course of millennia to meet their daily needs. It can be argued that the metric system is an artificial, elitist construct designed more to prove the superiority of one's political or educational status than for any practical reason.

Given the relatively small size of the European population compared to that of the Americas or Asia over that time, how are we to say that other, potentially more practical measurement systems weren't simply overrun by European...

(•_•)

( •_•)>⌐■-■

(⌐■_■)

imperialists?

[CaptTom]

LOL, glad my rant wasn't taken TOO seriously. It's not like any of us are going to change anything.

But by all means, let's move on to degrees in a circle, hours in a day, and other arbitrary measurement systems.

Probably not surprising from someone who likes the imperial system, I'm also OK with 360 degrees and 24 hours. For one thing, both have lots of prime factors, so I can do more calculations in my head.

I've also been known to walk into the chandler and ask for a "shot" of chain. I just love the look on the kid's face. And of course, my anchor rode is marked in fathoms. I don't use them anywhere else. It just seems like that's about the right precision for that job.

[Cheechako]

Being an Engineer, I have learned, yet not fully embraced the Metric system. TO me it is less understandable, especially the way it is often used. A mm means little to most of us. It's more like speaking in terms of 1/16"s and of limited use. Many metric things are specified in terms like 400 mm. Blech... not useful.
Unfortunately the CM is not much better. It's like 3/8".
A foot measurement or inch seems more "useful" in terms of relating to the world. Or, as mentioned, maybe a hand span and arm span are better!

Then there's the issue of not everything being readily metric. What about time? 10 hour days? 10 minutes an hour?
Can we change the natural world so that Pi complies with a 10 base?

I don't know what the universal answer is, but feel the metric system is not it...

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by rwidman

I just convert one meter to three feet. It's a PITA and it's not accurate, but I'm not breaking out a calculator unless it's important.

Now if I'm watching a documentary on TV (I live in the USA) and they keep using metric measurements, knowing that their audience thinks in inches and feet (and miles), I just change the channel.

They make movies, series, documentary to suit the world not the minority.

There are only three countries in the world not using metric.
Myanmar (or Burma), Liberia and the United States.
Every other country in the world has adopted the metric system as the primary unit of measurement.

[rgleason]

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