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RE; Metric vs. English: not even interesting

To: Tony Rhodes <ARhodes@compuserve.com>
Subject: RE; Metric vs. English: not even interesting
From: David Massey <105671.471@compuserve.com>
Date: Thu, 25 Nov 1999 21:36:27 -0500
Cc: Triumph List <triumphs@autox.team.net> charset=ISO-8859-1
Message text written by Tony Rhodes
>Right!  But who ever heard the weatherman saying  "it will be 30.5 degrees
today".  I have not.  Most
people do not need that accuracy, but they are more informed if they are
told the whole number
of degrees in F rather than C.  But then, we are usually told that the high
will be "in the 50's", so who
cares!

I actually prefer metric after spending a WHOLE lot of time working with
it.  Temperature is
jut one of those things I do not have a gut feeling for.  I know that 20 is
about room temperature, but
is it a cool or warm room temp?  I have to double it, subtract 10% then add
32.  Easy, but not
intuitive for me.
-T<

Right.  Actually no one would notice if you rounded the fahenheit
temperature to even numbers.  And working in metric is like working in
another language; if you have to translate everything you will never get
it.  It just takes rote practice to get used to it and as long as one
continues to use the "English" system one will not become "metrified." 
Many "Time-and-Temperature" displays on banks, etc. will display both F and
C.  Think of these as flash cards.  When you see one temperature displayed
see if you can corelate it to the other system.  Its easier than you think.
 You learned the system you are using you can learn the metric system, too.

Actually, the metric system advantage is somewhat subtle.  If there was a
great advantage we would have converted years ago.

Dave

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