Ka-pi96 said:
NightlyPoe said:
A foot is a very useful measurement that has not been replaced at all. It just doesn't exist in the metric system. People use it in the United States all the time even though we also have the yard, which is generally equal to a meter. Which tells me that, if the metric system had a unit similar to a foot, it would probably be popular as well.
If we take away the measurement of a foot, sure we could get by, but the reason why the foot was created and why it remains in use is completely because it's such a useful measurement of distance for when an inch is too small and a yard is too big.
The thing that you don't seem to understand is that the metric system units weren't created to be useful or by people looking to measure their world in a meaningful way. The metric system units were created by the happenstance of a fraction.
Do you even know how many feet are in a mile? I sure don't, and I even grew up in a country that used feet/miles. I do know how many metres are in a kilometre though, since you'd have to be pretty thick not to. |
Sure, 5,280 feet.
But you've reduced the question down to something that's largely irrelevant -> Conversion. For some reason metric supporters (popularized by untold numbers of elementary and middle school teachers) think this is the one and only consideration for adopting a measuring system. And while it can have its uses (mostly in the scientific areas where very big and very small units are required), generally it not really all that helpful.
A mile was created to measure fairly large distances. Does it really matter if you know how many feet that is? As long as you've got a good estimate in your head for what a mile means, who cares what number of feet it takes to get there? Conversion is a largely irrelevant consideration.
You aren't "stuck" between mililitres and litres. You can use centilitres too.
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Do you generally use centiliters? If not, obviously, your culture obviously finds it irrelevant. Which makes me curious what it would even be brought up. I mean, I wouldn't bring up a furlong for measuring distance. What would be the point? It's not used enough to be relevant to the conversation.
Why would ml even be a problem though? "you need 500 ml of water" You(apparently): "500? No! That's too much!!!!!". Regular person: "Ok". |
Me? I'm not the person who came up with the need for teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, pints, quarts, and gallons. So some, presumably regular, persons must have have decided that measuring 100 teaspoons* actually was too much and invented the pint to make life easier, or however the process must have gone.
Someone thought it was important enough to separate each of those units and and those units became and continue to be popular enough that they remain in common use even in the modern age. So, the question becomes, "Why?" And the answer is that is was useful. A single cup meant something, as did a pint and a gallon. And its use has continued consistently into the present, which means that those units of measurement remain useful.
Because of the rigidness of the metric system, none of the units between milliliter and liter fall into a category that people use. So you're stuck with only the two. Can you get along with only two? Sure.
Does qualifying as good enough make it superior or even equal? Heck no.
*Quick edit to short-circuit a gotcha response. I know that a pint isn't exactly 100 teaspoons.
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How many countries use feet? Like, 1 and a half? It used to be a whole lot more. So it absolutely has been replaced in most of the world!
Feet were invented because people were dumb as fuck back in the day. They pulled arbitrary measurements with no relation to anything out of their ass. That's all there is to it.
The thing you don't seem to understand is that imperial measurements are completely made up bullshit with no relation to anything. Metric measurements at least relate to each other, which is much more than can be said for imperial.
It isn't conversion. It's being able to easily use large numbers without being confused as fuck. It's being able to know the distance from your house to the local shop and from your house to the other side of the country and being able to compare them rather than looking at them and having no idea how they relate to each other. We're not talking about converting dollars to euros here, we're talking about using thousands, millions etc rather than a completely different currency for larger numbers.
ugh, yeah. Centilitres are largely irrelevant. Because most people don't freak out if they see "500ml", so why do you? Why does it always have to be a low number? I have seen cl used, only ever in relation to alcohol though.
Those units aren't in common use though. 1.5 countries aren't common use. They're minority use.
Does stubbornness and "tradtition" make it superior or even equal? Fuck no!
Edit: Also, why is an American arguing with a Brit and claiming British imperial measurements are better? There's some messed up kind of irony about that
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