In an apocalypse, the Imperial system of measurement is easier to reestablish than the metric system though that should be used with an eye to switching to metric. The USA uses both and it would be nice if things (like soda) didn’t have to list two measurements or having to ask a doctor to convert from metric to Imperial.
In an apocalypse, the Imperial system of measurement is easier to reestablish than the metric system
How would you measure one feet more accurately than one meter without any measurement tool? You might say that you could, but how can you prove that your “feet” measurement is more accurate than my “meter” measurement? Or one kilo vs one pound? You couldn’t. You would have to start with a brand new system either way.
And establishing a “new metric” system would be much easier, because everything is pretty just multiples of 10.
It’s not meant to be real accurate. It’s meant to “do for now”. There’s a reason that the metric system took so long to come into existence. We have the advantage of hindsight. Any society starting over might not have access to that experience.
I prefer using bananas to feet though. Both are just as accurate measurement tools.
Metric would be easier to re-establish exactly because we have hindsight and prior knowledge of it. Everything is basically just multiples of 10, once you establish the base measurement.
For scientific purposes, any system would be kinda hard to reestablish, without a definition that everyone agrees upon and a way to measure it accurately. The imperial system does not provide that definition at all.
For everyday purposes… what kind of apocalypse would result in the complete destruction of all of the world’s measuring tape?
For example, I can tell someone that the length between their knuckles of their index finger is about an inch or that a foot is literally based on the length of the human foot without having to have a ruler present. The metric system has no easy references. The history of the Imperial system is messy but it works (mostly) as a way to do rough measurements until the accuracy needed for the metric system is present. After that, the metric system makes conversions really easy, including getting rid of lot of units, and makes more sense.
Once you have the needed accuracy, the Imperial system is inferior to the metric system and should be phased out.
Whose feet would you measure? They vary wildly between genders and races.
You would have to do the initial measurement first and then tell everyone that’s how long “1 length” is, whatever you call it feet or meters or bananas.
So why use feet, which are different in size between all people and no one can measure one foot more accurately than one meter without a measurement too? Using bananas is just as accurate as using feet.
In an apocalypse, the Imperial system of measurement is easier to reestablish than the metric system though that should be used with an eye to switching to metric. The USA uses both and it would be nice if things (like soda) didn’t have to list two measurements or having to ask a doctor to convert from metric to Imperial.
How would you measure one feet more accurately than one meter without any measurement tool? You might say that you could, but how can you prove that your “feet” measurement is more accurate than my “meter” measurement? Or one kilo vs one pound? You couldn’t. You would have to start with a brand new system either way.
And establishing a “new metric” system would be much easier, because everything is pretty just multiples of 10.
It’s not meant to be real accurate. It’s meant to “do for now”. There’s a reason that the metric system took so long to come into existence. We have the advantage of hindsight. Any society starting over might not have access to that experience.
I prefer using bananas to feet though. Both are just as accurate measurement tools.
Metric would be easier to re-establish exactly because we have hindsight and prior knowledge of it. Everything is basically just multiples of 10, once you establish the base measurement.
The solution is to fully switch to metric
I agree. My point was about if a population needed to do a measurement system from the ground up.
For scientific purposes, any system would be kinda hard to reestablish, without a definition that everyone agrees upon and a way to measure it accurately. The imperial system does not provide that definition at all.
For everyday purposes… what kind of apocalypse would result in the complete destruction of all of the world’s measuring tape?
The Empire Strikes Back apocalypse 🤣
For example, I can tell someone that the length between their knuckles of their index finger is about an inch or that a foot is literally based on the length of the human foot without having to have a ruler present. The metric system has no easy references. The history of the Imperial system is messy but it works (mostly) as a way to do rough measurements until the accuracy needed for the metric system is present. After that, the metric system makes conversions really easy, including getting rid of lot of units, and makes more sense.
Once you have the needed accuracy, the Imperial system is inferior to the metric system and should be phased out.
Feet length varies a lot.
You can approximately measure one meter using three feet and it will be just as accurate as measuring three feet due to a variety of feet sizes.
Yup. One would start with that and then (hopefully) agree on a standard that is hopefully metric.
One would start measuring one meter using three feet, you mean? Until we can establish an exact measurement of one meter?
Whose feet would you measure? They vary wildly between genders and races.
You would have to do the initial measurement first and then tell everyone that’s how long “1 length” is, whatever you call it feet or meters or bananas.
So why use feet, which are different in size between all people and no one can measure one foot more accurately than one meter without a measurement too? Using bananas is just as accurate as using feet.
So why not do it properly the first time?