this post was submitted on 28 May 2024
1066 points (99.7% liked)
196
16591 readers
1987 users here now
Be sure to follow the rule before you head out.
Rule: You must post before you leave.
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
How did you reach the conclusion that liters can't be halved or quartered? You could call 250ml a 'quart' if you wanted to.
Metric butter also has markings on it.
Those medical records should be stored digital anyways, and then it's a matter of a few man hours to tell the computer to convert them.
Imo metric can do everything US customary can, but not the other way around, because it's missing the simple conversions. But that's it. Everything else is same same but different
I never said that you can't divide liters into fractional parts. Reread the quote again.
But for demonstration - what's easier to think about 250ml or 1 quart, (a whole unit number or if you prefer 1/4 of a gallon)? A fractional based measurement system was the first type of measures invented by people precisely because it WAS simple for everyday use between sellers and buyers. The US has just kept using it for simple everyday needs. It's neither better or worse than your 250mls, it's just different than what YOU are probably used to. To me, it doesn't matter. I'm fine with either measurement.
The majority medical records are available electronically. But that does not provide the base security of also storing written records. Networks go down, networks get hacked and not all places in the US can have or trust that those records will be available electronically 100% of the time. Paper ain't going away anytime soon.
I suppose we could go off into the weeds a bit and talk about how US Customary thread pitches made for fast to produce, smaller, and cheaper machine tools vs their same metric counter parts. And how it helped make the US into the manufacturing powerhouse it became. And how those same US Customary threads are a just a little bit stronger than their metric counterparts. But you would probably not understand much of it and your eyes would glaze over pretty quickly anyway. But these days it's merely a matter of G20 or G21 - The machines don't care, why should you?
Both measurement systems can do exactly EVERYTHING the other can do. Somethings can be easier in one system than the other, but it's far from a universal idea that one is 100% better than the other. Personally, I prefer using the metric system. But I don't get hung up on it. I will use whatever measurement system best meets the needs for the job at hand or is requested/required.
In the end, the metric system IS the official system of the US. We just didn't force a hard adoption date on it. But we use it everyday all day and don't even think about it. Now if you will excuse me, I need to buy a 750ml bottle of Old Grand Dad bourbon Bonded, so I can myself an Old Fashioned cocktail later today while I'm smoking a pork loin........