Metrication.

[Wraith]

I live in England and, on the whole, most of our measurements are metric (with the obvious exception of MPH). Why are we not completely metric yet an why is America (listed as a super power) not metric? Are there plans to metricate the whole of the world? It seems to me that with everything be so advanced nowadays, what with computer chips in just about eveything, countries like America are a little behind the times and yet far more advanced in other things (like space travel).

[Sylday]

The reason road distances are retained in miles in the UK is probably because it would be so expensive to change all road signs etc to kilometres. But in any case, there is a great deal of resistance to metrication in the UK. For example, even though supermarkets now sell fruit and veg by Kg, in the London street market where I shop, the stalls still sell in pounds - though they do show the price in Kg as well. As for the US, it is in many ways a very conservative country, especially with George W Bush as President. For instance, as well as its retention of pounds, miles etc, any attempt to tamper with the design of US banknotes - which have been much the same for yonks -is fiercely resisted; then there's all the fuss about abortion etc etc.

[SteveD]

Some interesting reading here: http://www.unc.edu/%7Erowlett/units/metric.html

[robgebs]

We have to wait for everyone who grew up with metric to die - seriously. Metric is taught in schools but not everyone alive in the UK today grew up with it.

[robgebs]

Sorry. I meant without metric.

[rinkytink]

Wraith - what you makes you think that metric is a more superior system ? It was merely a way of standardising things.
Also there are still millions of people in the UK who are used to imperial units, me being one of them, and I'm only 34 !
I prefer the imperial units and I also like the idea of the UK retaining things that are different to the rest of Europe (even though it's a bit late now!).

[WoWo]

You mention modern stuff like computer chips, they don't use metric. The use binary everything you do is converted to little 1's and 0's (well on's on off's in fact). Nothing metric about that.

[Wraith]

I don't see why wanting to go metric makes you a fascist ansteyg. I'm 37 now and went through metrication. All I can say is thank goodness I don't have have to use shillings, sixpences, feet and inches anymore. Anyone who can't see that units of ten are easier to count and calculate with is sadly mistaken. I'm all for us trying to retain things that are different to the rest of Europe, but any system that improves things and makes things easier must be worthwile. My children have all grown up with cm's, kg's etc and can't understand how we used to have to calculate weights and measures. I seem to remember some years back there being a problem at NASA with one of their latest projects fouling up because parts of it were made in Europe in mm's and other parts were made in the USA in inches. I respect that older people may find changes confusing, but surely life is all about making improvements and moving forwards.