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If American's switched from pounds to kilograms over night, would there be mass confusion?

davtim68 7 Dec 15
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12 comments

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0

As the law enforcement population has pointed out, drug dealers can do metric! How hard can it be? I was in Montreal when the conversion was passed in Canada. They used mass media to teach the population about the conversion in the late '70s. For instance, a meter is approximately the height of a doorknob, 0 degrees Celcius is 32 degrees Fahrenheit and 0 degrees F is about -18 C, and 20 degrees C is very hot (90s). The first six months of each year of conversion was in both Imperial and Metric, then it is only Metric. It worked out rather well. As the only country to use Imperial (except our mechanic tools), I'm very sure Americans can do it too! It just needs to be presented in a piecemeal manner for the general population.

1

I am absolutely sure that people have died because of the confusion about two systems of measurement. A lot of good mathematics time is wasted in doing conversions. When you visit another country with different currencies, all you need is a card with a few ready made conversions each way. When you are after a bargain or an emergency medicine you very quickly adapt . How long will it be before the world has one currency? - wages paid in energy units.

0

Oh hell yeah!

1

Considering the ongoing problem of the 'dumbing down of the US of A' , yes., there could be mass confusion.

2

People would freak out, resist, and bitch alot. Yeah, dividing by approximately 2 can be super difficult...

Zster Level 8 Dec 15, 2017
1

But the Bible is in pounds......

LOL

0

Why change? We have such a logical system now that I can't imagine anything better.

Oh, and yes, I am kidding.

1

For a short while, there would be mazz confusion, but within 6 months it would be settled and working. In the 1970s, Congress was talking about switching to the metric system, and I was part of a project teaching teachers how to teach the conversion. In one 4 week program the teachers in our training program had the conversion down pat and could have passed it on quickly and somewhat easily.

0

Riots in southern streets ...I’d suspect.. In grade school, I remember them beginning to head toward the metric system … then massive pushback from congressional conservatives! I’d often wondered if it was a sales ploy to force us to have two damn sets of both Metric and SAE tools - I cuss it to this day! Dog Damn ‘Conservatives’...

Varn Level 8 Dec 15, 2017
2

Having done some travelling, never find it to be a problem. One day on pounds, and next day on kilograms. It is a much simpler system. Wish we had gone there back in the 1970's (I think). As an engineer working for the Department of Agriculture, we were moving that way, and had started putting out work with dual units, and with idea to shortly go to metric. Changed president, and that was the end of it.

2

Definitely

3

Only for stubborn people. We should have gone metric back in the 70s.

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