all 50 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] 5 points 3 years ago* (last edited 3 years ago) (3 children)

I was born in the US and have switched by myself. My brother thought I was weird until one day we went to the hardware store.

I needed to buy a 15/64 in drill bit, but they didn't have it. So then we thought, fine, maybe we can use the next closest size...

...

Except WTF is the next size up or down from 15/64??!!! Neither of us could figure it out. Internet wasn't great. Sales people didn't know. We left because we weren't sure what to buy.

In metric, it's trivial. 5mm drill bit, 4mm is smaller, 6mm is bigger.

After this, he stopped thinking I was a weirdo for using metric measurements. But he still uses imperial because murica.

Also, interesting, I learned that he thinks imperial units were invented by the US. I told him they were British units and I stopped caring about British units in 1776, but he didn't seem to believe me.

  • source
  • hideshow 6 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago (1 child)

    Except WTF is the next size up or down from 15/64??!!!

    There's lots of great reasons to switch to metric. Inability to do basic fractions isn't one of them...

    For the record, it would be 16/64, or, 1/4

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago

    For the record, it would be 16/64, or, 1/4

    Nope! It'd be 6mm, then B gauge (6.045mm), then 1/4" (6.350mm). And that's not including things like over/under reamers and such.

    (Sorry, I've been watching too much Blondihacks lately.)

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 5 points 3 years ago (2 children)

    I do find cooking easier in grams. Just put the bowl on the scale and add ingredients until it hits the number. No measuring cups to wash. But it would life changing if woodworking switched to metric. Doing any sort of exact math is annoying as hell. What is 12’7” divided by 4? How many 1/8” is 0.55 inches?? It is my own personal hell.

  • source
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 3 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    It's also a lot easier to multiply and divide recipes if you switch it over to metric. This is particularly useful if you don't have enough of one ingredient and need to reduce the others by that ratio.

    Then there's the ability to measure the ingredient directly out of the container, using any scoop you can find, rather than needing multiple sets of measuring spoons.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago* (last edited 3 years ago) (1 child)

    I do find cooking easier in grams. Just put the bowl on the scale and add ingredients until it hits the number. No measuring cups to wash.

    Uh, you know metric has volume measurements as well, and Imperial has weight measurements? Measuring cup vs scales is not really a difference in metric and imperial.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [+] 3 points 3 years ago (1 child)
  • [–] 2 points 3 years ago (2 children)

    We went from posting Twitter screenshots as memes to posting reddit screenshots as memes

  • source
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago

    The A* paper standard and the metric system. A Pythagorean can dream.

  • source
  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago (1 child)

    Please, baking is such a pain in the ass because measurements are never consistent

  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago (1 child)

    Mfs don't realize we already fuckin use metric for all kinds of shit.

  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago (2 children)

    I bet the dang Nasa doesn't measure their rockets by the barley corn.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    Didn't you see the meme: "There are 2 types of countries, those that ise the metric system and those that landed on the moon."?

    It's also usually shared by the same idiots that don't realise that barley corn is an actual measurement in their beloved imperial system.

    Ask any of these smart arses how barley corns are in a foot or how many feet are in a mile and suddenly you hear excuses. Not to forget that the inch defined by the meter.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    I'm not sure what your point is? Some people not knowing a certain obscure unit of measurement doesn't discount an entire system of measurements. Also your mile example doesn't make sense because most people do know how many feet are in a mile.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago (1 child)

    You're proving my point exactly. The imperial system is so convoluted that even people that INSIST that EVERYONE should use it, don't understand its units.

    Just because most people don't have to deal with a certain conversion, doesn't mean that none do. There are enough engineers that design stuff which is related to problems on these variations in scale. They waste hours in productivity in needlessly complicated conversions (because fractions). Not to mention the mistakes that get introduced like the famous Mars lander that crashed because of imperial unit conversions.

    Not only are the units incredibly inconsistent, you also have the issue that Brits and boat people use variation of some of the same units. US Gallons vs British Gallons, mile vs nautical mile. MPH, vs knots. That barley corn that Holzkohlen mentioned defines shoe sizes, unless of course, you don't wear shoes.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [+] 1 point 3 years ago* (last edited 3 years ago) (1 child)
  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago (1 child)

    Grocery volumes (Milk, dairy products, shampoo, basically anything purchased in a container)? litres.

    Meanwhile, here in the US, we've got soda in liters but milk in gallons. Udder madness!

    Carpentry measurements? Inches.

    It amuses me that in metric countries, construction materials like plywood are often standardized to strange non-rounded measurements like 1220 x 2440 x 13mm because it's actually just 4' x 8' x 1/2" in disguise.

    Wrenches? whatever fits!

    Interestingly, I can't remember the last time I needed SAE wrenches. Even my old '96 Ford Ranger is metric, I think.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago

    Cars have been all metric since the mid-80s IIRC, to better standardise them for international sales. The Ranger was really a Mazda B-series, so it's definitely metric.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    Actually not accurate for "Rest of the World", China uses year month day.

  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    It’s so nice to measure fluid in milliliters and grams, it all works so well.

  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    And Celsius? And 24 hour time?

  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    We use 24 h format here where I live but we speak in 12 h format because it's less awkward. Not all that shines is gold, I guess

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago (1 child)

    Computer, wake me up at zero six hundred hours!

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago (2 children)

    When I was 6 in 1980, they told us we would be switching in a year or two.

  • source
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago

    I'd heard of that before so after a quick google America passed the Metric Conversion Act in 1975 then in 1982 the Metric Board was abolished by President Ronald Reagan...

    So like the harbinger of doom for American progress he was Regan killed it...

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago (1 child)
  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    Just like daylight savings time...

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago* (last edited 3 years ago)

    We actually got rid of that in Denmark recently, but in a pretty foolish way: our time is now locked in on daylight savings time rather than the original unmodified time.

    Probably gonna mean some dark mornings when the times come and we don't switch back, which'll suck for those of us who have a hard time getting out of bed before the sun's up..

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    I personally fucking hate ounces. Recipes could mean volume or weight.

  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments