Sad thing is that is is USA that is the problem child in all this. Being largely isolated from Eurasia, and having just a few big neighbors that are easy to convince to play along, they can basically define the spectrum within their broadcast reach as they see fit.
It is basically the same reasoning behind it as why metric is still not the default over there.
> Sad thing is that is is USA that is the problem child in all this. Being largely isolated from Eurasia, and having just a few big neighbors that are easy to convince to play along, they can basically define the spectrum within their broadcast reach as they see fit.
Well, and that works in our situation.
> It is basically the same reasoning behind it as why metric is still not the default over there.
There's also the simple fact that the 'metric' system is just different, not superior in general (i.e., it's better at some things and worse in others). Why impose a bunch of costs for no net benefit? If every other country jumped off a bridge, ought we?
Having sufficient factors. The only change I would do (if I could) is to make the metric system use Base-12. That would be something truly better because one-third would now be 4; quarter would be 3; half would 6; three-fourths would be 9. Compare that to 3.3333; 2.5; 5 and 7.5 of something.
Just like who hexadecimal is very natural in 8/16/32/64 bit computing, the "real life" usage of measures would be much easier if it was in Base-12.
By 2? Because dividing 10 or 100 by 2 is harder than 12 by 2?
Three, I'll give you.
Useful amounts of precision is a nothing, if you ask me. We start teaching decimals in third grade, and the only real issue with decimals is weather, for which the difference is saying "80F vs 81F", or "26.7 versus 27.2", whose utility is ... limited.
For distance, the metric system has finer grained units for precision (come on, break down inches: 1/16, 1/8, 3/16, 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 1/2, etc... are you going to argue that is better than 25.7cm or 257mm?).
I'm not really buying it, as someone who has lived in both worlds.
Metric really is at least somewhat better for most things. But the areas where metric is genuinely superior (a lot of engineering, etc.), metric mostly is used already. For the standard stuff that consumers are exposed to, the advantages of metric aren't that great and no one's all that anxious to switch.
Sad thing is that is is USA that is the problem child in all this. Being largely isolated from Eurasia, and having just a few big neighbors that are easy to convince to play along, they can basically define the spectrum within their broadcast reach as they see fit.
It is basically the same reasoning behind it as why metric is still not the default over there.