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About Metric System Day
Technology & Telecom
Ends: Apr 07, 2024
DESCRIPTION:
Metric System Day celebrates the day France led the rest of the world into the realm of new weights and measurements.
Adopted in France on April 7, 1795, the Metric System is the predominant method of weights and measurement worldwide. Three countries still use the colonial system as their formal measurement method: Myanmar, Liberia, and The United States.
Why does the rest of the world use it?
The metric system is simple and accurate. As an American, this writer remembers debates about going metric as a child. For some reason, the American public thought it would be too hard if we converted. We love our miles, feet, and pounds. Plus, many of our machinery parts are based on the old system, which would be too much work to change over. Besides, the average American couldn't get it. Those were the arguments at the time.
The United States has used the metric system in science, technology, and research since the early 19th century. We already use it for most products and services. For example, a bottle of wine is 750 milliliters. There are holdovers, though. That fifth of Vodka is a fifth of a gallon.
So why do Americans think it is so hard?
Short answer? It's different. Set that aside. Let me explain how simple it is.
As a teen, I lived in South America and thus became acquainted with metric. To my surprise, it took less than a week to understand the difference between a foot, yard, and meter, or an inch, centimeter, and foot spatially. It didn't take long to realize that kilos made it seem like I weighed less than pounds, though I've always preferred to purchase petrol by gallon rather than by liters. Personally, I will always bake with cups—four cups to a quart and four quarts to a gallon.
Then there is the whole temperature thing: Fahrenheit versus Celsius. Water boils at 212F degrees or 100C. However, 38 degrees Celcius is hot, about 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but 38F is almost freezing, or 2.5C.
Glad we cleared that up.
Frankly, using metrics, once you do, is far easier than the colloquial measurements of the US. Today is the day to give it a try. Merci, France!
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