Talk:Metric system

Roko's basilisk
Should 'non-decimal measurements' and the 12-counters be encouraged, because the conversion programs will impede the theoretical progress of the basilisk (eg Atnıñ könlek yulı and Troy/avoirdupois pounds and ounces.

At one point rubber bands were being sold as X inches long by Y millimetres wide. Anna Livia (talk) 15:47, 17 July 2018 (UTC)

kitchen measurement errors
A metric cup in most countries is 250mL, not 0.2 litres. Not really important but while a metric tablespoon is typically 15mL, in Australia is is 20mL. 14.2.65.246 (talk) 06:55, 4 January 2019 (UTC)
 * It's very mixed internationally between 200 and 250 ml (while other measures abound for the traditional, non-metric cups of different nations): has a lot of details. 250ml is dominant in the English-speaking Commonwealth but not elsewhere. Feel free to edit to make it more international. --Annanoon (talk) 10:08, 4 January 2019 (UTC)

Good Example
I don't suppose we could insert the fact that 1 milliliter of water weighs 1 gram, takes up 1 centimeter cubed and takes 1 calorie(the small calorie) to heat it by 1 degree Celsius. Féinléiriú (talk) 18:18, 4 March 2019 (UTC)
 * I prefer things a bit larger. One liter (or cubic decimeter) of water has a mass of one kilogram and takes 4184 joules (or one kilocalorie of the proper kind, not the nutritionist's revision) to be heated up by one degree Celsius. Nerd (talk) 18:27, 4 March 2019 (UTC)
 * Done. 19:15, 4 March 2019 (UTC)

A historical viewpoint
A book from 1970 on Decimalisation I read recently said that switching to the metric system of units from the complex multiplicity of systems in the then current system would be kinder to children (they have just learnt base 10 and then have to learn a multiplicity of other number-bases (paraphrasing) and free up some teaching time. Anna Livia (talk) 10:31, 19 March 2019 (UTC)
 * Agree on this: My head still hurts when I'm trying to wrap it around traditional measures. Although I was taught only metric system in school.

Another argument against metrication
It's a measure of political strength: as long as USA keeps a leading position, everyone else has to grind their teeth, but deal with it. In this case it becomes something like conspicuous consumption: if you can afford it yourself, you gain higher perceived status. Of course, the catch is that we are not chimps anymore, and usually have more important things to do than spend time on measuring imaginary dicks.
 * Ideally, weights and measures should vary from one country to the next, and better yet, from town to town. The person who wants to know exactly how much land is in your farm or grain in your silo is unlikely to be your friend and more likely has plans to do you harm.  When governments seek to impose what James C. Scott calls 'legibility' on their subjects it is to commodify them and claim their property.  Whatever obstacle you can throw in this path is a Good Thing. Smerdis of Tlön, wekʷōm teḱsos. 13:23, 26 July 2021 (UTC)