Then move to the US where the measurement system is in state of turmoil. The world of science has long been metric and that of technology mainly so. Remember the Mars lander? NAFTA means that metric measurements appear on every item sold in addition to what the Americans refer to as ‘English’ units. This can be very strange to an Englishman because a lot of these units are not the same as those I grew up with. Most noticeable are the volume measures which are 20% smaller – it makes the gallon to litre conversion much easier. I think those British traders were ripping off the colonists – no wonder they revolted!
Exactly! One of the greatest errors that people who cling to old units make is that they all think all the units are the same.
If an American hears that beer is sold in pints in British pubs, it never occurs to the American that the pint is larger by 20 % (568 mL vs 473 mL). The American assumes the pint in Britain is one and the same with the pint in the US.
How many people who use FFU (Fred Flintstone units - a common name for all non-SI units), are really aware that a unit can have multiple meanings?
How many people who claim to know FFU know the difference in the UK vs US units? Or that an ounce of mass/weight is not the same as an ounce of volume or that a pint is not a pound the world around? How many know that a land mile is not the same as a nautical mile, that there is an almost 250 m difference? That 4 nautical miles is almost 1 km longer then 4 land miles?
How many people know that an ounce of gold has more mass then an ounce of lead? Or that a pound of gold has less mass then a pound of lead?
How many British would really understand a person's weight expressed exclusively in pounds, and how many Americans would know what a stone is?
How many British would understand long distance measured in feet and how many Americans really comprehend yards? Except for American football, the only time yards are used is when the media changes the word metres to yards in international news events. The bomb exploded 100 m from my home becomes The bomb exploded 100 yards from my home.
And how many people can realy do the math (maths in the UK) with FFU? What do those who cling to FFU really know about FFU? Answer: very little.
I've heard it said of both the US and the UK, that the measuremnt mess in both countries has made the citizens of both the UK and US innumerate in both SI and FFU. Not something to be proud of.
