Metric units please...

[Jurek Zarzycki]

I think that science oriented sources in US should help transition this nation into metric system. I am surprised when that is not the case. At least metric units should be used as primary, with the obsolete English units in brackets afterwards. In this caption there is a mixture of pounds (7,500 pounds of equipment) and meters, making it quite strange.

But I must quickly ad that I am a big fan of APOD for quite a few years now and visit it daily! Thank you all who are involved with it!

[neufer]

I think that science oriented sources in US should help transition this nation into metric system. I am surprised when that is not the case. At least metric units should be used as primary, with the obsolete English units in brackets afterwards. In this caption there is a mixture of pounds (7,500 pounds of equipment) and meters, making it quite strange.

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Liberia, Myanmar and the United States.
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<<In the late 18th century, Louis XVI of France charged a group
of experts to develop a unified, natural and universal system of
measurement to replace the disparate systems then in use. This group,
which included such notables as Lavoisier, produced the metric system,
which was then adopted by the revolutionary government of France.
Three nations have not officially adopted the International System of
Units as their primary or sole system of measurement: Liberia, Myanmar
and the United States.>> - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_system
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Washington was originally set out as a 10x10 MILE
square/diamond nominally including George Washington's
(and my) beloved Alexandria and most of the 40 mile
markers around the diamond border still exist.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
http://home.hiwaay.net/~jalison/dcgrid.html
.
<<Despite the fact that the United States has resisted the metric
system since it's inception, a grid aligned to the cardinal
directions, with lengths in even units of 900, 1200 and 1800 meters,
provides a simple and accurate key to the location of the main
buildings and monuments in the city and the slopes, angles and
distances of the diagonal avenues.
.
The north-south distance of zones 1-6 are each 900 meters.
The east-west distance of zone A is 1800 meters. The east-west
distance of zones B, C and D are each 1200 meters.
.
The National Cathedral is at the north-west corner of zone 1A.
The Kennedy Memorial in Arlington Cemetery is
at the south-west corner of zone 6A.
.
The Lincoln Memorial is at the south-east corner of zone 5A.
Washington Circle is on the eastern border of zone A.
.
Dupont Circle is in the center of zone 3B.
Logan Circle is in the center of zone 3C.
.
The Jefferson Memorial is at the south-east corner of 6B. The White
House is at the south east corner of 4B. The Supreme Council of the
Scottish Rite of Freemasonry is at the south-east corner of 2B. The
western border of Meridian Park is on the eastern border of zone B.
.
The Old Patent Office is at the south-east corner of zone 4C.
L'enfant Plaza, the National Archive, The Naval Memorial and
the City Museum are all on the eastern border of zone C.
.
The Capitol building is at the south-east corner of zone 5D.
.
The Lincoln Memorial is 3600 meters west of the Capitol Building. The
Jefferson Memorial is 1800 meters south of the White House (one-half
of the distance from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol Building)..
The White House is 900 meters north of the east-west axis of the
Capitol Building. The Jefferson Memorial is 900 meters south of the
east west axis of the Capitol Building. The Capitol Building is 2400
meters east of the north-south axis of the White House. The Lincoln
Memorial is 1200 meters west of the north-south axis of the White
House. The original plan for the city called for the Washington
Monument to be located at the intersection of the north-south axis of
the White House and the east-west axis of the Capitol building. It was
later determined that the ground at this location was not stable
enough to support the weight of the monument and it was ultimately
constructed to the east and slightly to the south of it's originally
intended location.
.
The Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry is 1800 meters
north of the White House. The Masonic Headquarters is 3600 meters
north of the Jefferson Memorial, the same as the distance from the
Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol Building.
.
The Kennedy Memorial is 5400 meters south of the National Cathedral.
The Kennedy Memorial is also 5400 meters west of the Capitol building.
.
From the White House to the Capitol building, Pennsylvania Avenue
travels 2400 meters east and 900 meters south. This slope of 24/9
reduces to 8/3, producing an angle of 20.556 degrees south of due
east.
.
Massachusetts Avenue travels from Dupont Circle in the center of zone
3B to the south-east corner of zone 4D, or 3000 meters east and 1350
meters south. This reduces to a slope of 20/9, producing an angle of
24.228 degrees south of due east. Rhode Island Avenue has the same
slope and the same angle south of due west and north of due east
from Logan Circle in the center of zone 3C.
.
The City Museum is at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and
the eastern border of zone C. From the center of zone 3B to the
eastern
border of zone C, Massachusetts Avenue travels1800 meters east. Given
it's slope of 20/9, Massachusetts Avenue travels 810 meters south from
the center of zone 3B to the eastern border of zone C. Since the
center of zone 3B is 450 meters north of the southern border of zone
3, the City Museum is 360 meters south of the northern border of zone
4 (450 + 360 = 810). New York Avenue travels from the White House to
the City Museum, or 1200 meters east and 540 meters north (900 - 360 =
540). This slope of 1200/540 also reduces to 20/9, producing the same
angle of 24.228 north of due east. Due west of the City Museum,
Washington Circle is 1200 meters west and 540 meters north of the
White House, producing the same slope of 20/9 and the same angle of
24.228 degrees north of due west for Pennsylvania Avenue from the
White House to Washington Circle.
.
Dupont Circle is 600 meters west and 1350 meters north of the White
House. Logan Circle is 600 meters east and 1350 meters north of the
White House. In both cases the slope is 1350/600 or 9/4, producing an
angle of 66.04 degrees north of due west for Connecticut Avenue from
the White House to Dupont Circle and 66.04 degrees north of due east
for Vermont Avenue from the White House to Logan Circle.
.
Washington Circle is 810 meters south and 600 meters west of Dupont
Circle. This reduces to a slope of 9/6.66 repeating, producing an
angle of 53.47 degrees north of due east for New Hampshire Avenue,
from Washington Circle to Dupont Circle..
.
The axis of Memorial Bridge and Memorial Drive extends from the
Lincoln Memorial at the north-east corner of zone 6A to the Kennedy
Memorial at the south-west corner of zone 6A, or 1800 meters west and
900 meters south, for a slope of 2/1, producing an angle of 26.565
degrees south of due west. At the south-western end of Memorial drive
is the Monument for Women in Military Service. Extended to the south-
west from Washington Circle, New Hampshire Avenue intersects the
center of the Monument for Women in Military Service at the south-
western end of Memorial Drive.>>

[Sputnick]

Why go to metric when standard exercises the mind much better?

[Jurek Zarzycki]

Maybe to educate?

[Sputnick]

An education should teach the mind to think - standard measure needs deeper and higher levels of thought than metric - therefore the mind has to work harder and expand it's boundaries. A simple computer can do metric, a more complex computer is needed for standard.

[inertnet]

An education should teach the mind to think - standard measure needs deeper and higher levels of thought than metric - therefore the mind has to work harder and expand it's boundaries. A simple computer can do metric, a more complex computer is needed for standard.

Maybe one could reach deeper and higher levels if the mind wasn't held back by unnecessary illogical outdated stuff.

[neufer]

An education should teach the mind to think - standard measure needs deeper and higher levels of thought than metric - therefore the mind has to work harder and expand it's boundaries. A simple computer can do metric, a more complex computer is needed for standard.

Maybe one could reach deeper and higher levels if the mind wasn't held back by unnecessary illogical outdated stuff.

Perhaps we should go back to pounds, shillings & pence or even roman numerals.

[JohnD]

Hi, sputnik!

What is this 'standard' of which you speak/write?
I think it used to be called 'Imperial', when the British Empire had a LOT more red on it than on this map: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_system

As only three nations in the WORLD still use it - Liberia, Myanmar and the USA - it's hardly a 'standard' system any more?
Bit like the 'World' series, 29 USA baseball clubs and one from Canada.

John

[Sputnick]

29 baseball teams and they can't beat the impoverished Cubans .. and substitute a red and white hockey puck with a maple leaf on it, and what happens to the red, white and blue? But I ain't patriotic nor a hocky fan anymore folks - this world ain't where it's at. I prefer the cubit and rod measures. An interesting math exercise is (144,000 cubits @ 1 1/2 feet per cubit) cubed - the volume of New Jerusalem .. lots of room for humans of almost every description (none having evil within though - but that will be all burned out anway) with room left over for tons and megakilos of Martians and all those other fantastic beings in all the galaxies and universes.

Yes, let's leave the archaic behind .. like thinking one nation or person knows it all including what's best for everyone else .. that's dictatorship unless the person in charge is God .. and God is in charge, folks .. allowing freedom .. like in western Canada metric is on the roadsigns but you won't hardly hear no metric spoken .. ( I speak as an eastern cowpoke edumicated 'round the cookstove).

Good to hear from you John .. and everone. Yes - I'm in a good mood - my employment week(end) is over.

[BMAONE23]

An education should teach the mind to think - standard measure needs deeper and higher levels of thought than metric - therefore the mind has to work harder and expand it's boundaries. A simple computer can do metric, a more complex computer is needed for standard.

Maybe one could reach deeper and higher levels if the mind wasn't held back by unnecessary illogical outdated stuff.

Perhaps we should go back to pounds, shillings & pence or even roman numerals.

GREAT IDEA NEUFER

Then my aunt MIM could be an inappropriate 1999

[Sputnick]

I wonder what the currency will be when the 6 6 6 takes over completely, and monetary transactions are all transacted electronically? Being archaic as I am, I prefer cash, although that would be thought by many to be illogical, what with the risk of theft and loss.