When given the proper information, the Australians were able to convert over and have lived at peace with the metric system for over 30 years now. A compulsory change over is the only way to make the change over happen. We have tried the voluntary way and it didn't work. We are loosing trillions of dollars in trade commerce because we aren't fully metric. In this economy can we afford that?

We don't just need a nudge, we need it to be a national goal (think space program).

Other countries have changed to metric quickly and efficiently. We just seem to wander to and fro between measurement systems (e.g. alcohol is metric, except for beer). This dilly dallying is costing us in both money and lost opportunity (the $ cost of the lost Mars probe is easy, about $360 million; the lost opportunity cost due to lost science is immesurably huge).

If we're going to continue to be the greatest nation on this planet, we need to start acting like it and show other countries that not only can we change to metric, but we can do it faster and more efficiently than others as well.

One of our best exports used to be capital goods.  Machines to make products and machines to make machines.  Today we have close to zero exports of this kind, because US companies make capital goods for US companies.  Our capital goods are useless to the rest of the world because they're calibrated to produce goods to US standards.

Of course, if a company really needs a machine from a US company, they can make a special request.  Most companies just aren't going to bother.  Those that do will be worried that the final product isn't quite right since the company isn't familiar with international units.

Companies that make end-use products would be greatly served by being able to label their products *once* for *all markets*.  SI is necessary, but not sufficient.

I've only talked about measurement units, but other international standards would also grease the wheels of international commerce and communication.  The international paper system has oodles of benefits, such as every size being the same ratio (1:sqrt(2)) and standardized envelope sizes.

Most of these changes could be nudged by changing internal federal government policy to require SI only and ISO paper.  For instance, the current 8.5"x11" paper size only became a de facto standard in the US because Herbert Hoover, then later Ronald Regan, specified it.

By the way, the metric system *has* been the official system of units for the US since the early 20th century.  We just never followed through on adoption.

I remember distinctly the elementary school science class in which I first learned of SI units where the class was told how 1ml is a cubic centimeter and if it is water it weighs 1 gram. I thought that was really cool and a rather pragmatic way of measuring things.

I don't support the government mandating the metric system for the same reason I don't support the government mandating English as the official language. The government exists to serve the interest of its people, not to tell the people what is in their interest.

The Constitution puts the Congress in charge of weights and measures, so yes the government can mandate the metric system.   If we can change our entire TV standard in February of next year, we can certainly convert to the metric system. 

It's about time that the US switched. There's no reason to remain on antiquated English units. The US is at a severe competitive disadvantage because we are not metric. The auto industry is completely metric, so there is proof that businesses can switch.

I have been lecturing basic sciences in African universities, in time when the countries of Africa have been changing their fps system to SI system. A very interesting and challenging period! It took some years to accomplish the change fully.
Surprisingly, the change was more visible and easier done in business (packaging, volumes, balances), shops and streets (kilometer posts, speed signs, change to a right hand drive) than in a university laboratory. Why did they succeed in relatively smooth way? You may say that if "there is will, there is a way". Although, it is true, the countries were less developed and the changes had not met big resistance. At that time there was no book for students on experimental science, where all quantities were to be measured and the answers expressed in SI units. By the same token there was no "conversion” fear, so hampering introduction of SI in USA. The problem shifted to mathematical manipulation of power of ten notation, SI prefixes, inter-conversion within the metric system, accuracy, precision and the uncertainties of measurement or calculated quantities. This prompted me to write the book on experimental science: "SI Units, Conversion and Measurement Skills". You may learn about the 2009 edition of the book visiting my website: http://www.wacek.co.za.
I do hope that President Obama will take the executive decision to implement SI in the USA! Then, many programs, calculators, sophisticated conversions with complex conversion factors will be steadily phased out with benefits to students and whole economy...
Wacek Kijewski

The United States should enter into the metric system because almost every country uses it and because the metric system is easier to work with (1000 meters for a kilometer and not 5,280 feet for a mile). In addition, with the United States on the metric system, we will be globally unified in terms of measurement.

Nudged?  It should be shoved!  The claims are metric tools are expensive and the conversion is too difficult.  They need a metric reality program hosted by Suzy Centimeter and Marty Milliliter.  if the majority of the world has to learn English, we should at least meet them half way with metric.

You may compare learning a new system with a learning of a new language. It seems that it requires constant "conversion".  It may, at first, but  for a short time. The same quantity may have different names; so many factors, therefore: calculations, re-calculations! This creates a fear!  But it is hard way to learn! Just acceptying a new language, you steadily forget that messy, tedious (and unnecessary!) way. Without much effort you start using this simple "language". Take example of other nations!
They did it without much effort! I wish that the older generation in the USA 
did not fear and did not make objections!

Unfortunately, we won't have a quarter-pounder at McDonalds anymore if we do switch.

Many people are commenting about how we need to improve our infrastructure. Going metric at the same time is a great way to do it as we're going to be replacing broken things anyway, may as well replace them with metric versions.
Given how much easier it is to work in metric, we can also make the reconstruction money go a lot further. Better for everyone.

Paul I agree that is what we should do.  I think we need to go one step further.  We need to set a 5 year time line to have all of our infrastructure changed over and a 10 year time line for everything else.  Our change over needs to be made compulsory and signed into law in a way that it can't be overturned by another administration.  For the US compulsory is the only way to go at this point.  We tried the voluntary way and it failed miserably. 

Anonymous X: Even though almost all countries have gone metric, in metric Japan, McDonalds nonetheless has the Quarter Pounder on its menus.

Anonymous XIt is really only a quarter pound in name.  A fully loaded quarter pounder is just shy of 200 grams.  With that factored in one can reasonably assume that the patties aren't 114 grams, since you have to factor in the bun, lettuce, onions, ketchup, and mustard.

Think of the money saved by converting to metric. 

NASA lost a $125 million Mars orbiter because a Lockheed Martin engineering team used English units of measurement while the agency's team used the more conventional metric system for a key spacecraft operation. 

Think of the embarassment.

US, Liberia and Burma are the only countries that don't use metric.  Come on folks, we walked on the moon.  We can do better than this. 

Think of the ease of use.

How many pints are in a gallon? OK, now how many pints are in 26 gallons? 

Very good analogy Edward.

Watching kids struggle with our broken customary system of measurements makes me sad. I really look forward to the day we only have to teach metric to our kids instead of two systems.

Amongst other things, it'll mean I don't have to teach metric to kids _again_ as they need it for science but don't get enough day to day exposure beyond the soda bottle.

We need a single system of measurement and since at least 99.5% of the remainder of the world has gone metric, it stands to reason the US should bite the bullet and go with it.  Sure you’ll need metric tools, metric measuring cups (many have metric markings) etc., but once you use it you’ll find it much easier.  You won’t have that many headaches trying to determine how many of these are in a that.

The other thing to note is that we're already about 60% metricated so it's not as far to go as many other countries had when they started.
We should be able to finish this very quickly and efficiently.

Metrication is needed around the world. Most of the world already changed to this sensible rational measurement system that makes sense and is easy to use. If the USA does not complete its changeover, it will get left behind.
Also, I believe that Canada failed to fully metricate due to being dragged down by America. And the UK is still struggling to fully metricate, with the non-metrication of America being one excuse people use to not use metric.
Once the USA is using metric exclusively, and drops its US customary measures (aka "English" even though English people don't use them), then trade between all nations will fairer and America will be in a better position to export its metric goods to metric countries. No one outside America wants to buy things to US specifications when they need things to metric specifications.

Ok,so the US is a big country and may have a job to persuade the people that metric really is a better system, but every other country in the world has changed- and benefitted from it, including that bastion of cultural tradition, Ireland! You soon get used there to speaking of distances in cm or km and weight in grams, and wonder why it took so long to see the sense of it. In the UK total change to metric was recommended in 1862 by a government committee but as usual we've hung on to some old measures- the mile and the pint, for example, purely through nostalgia. Don't make the same mistake in the US, go the whole hog- it can be done!

The US military is already well-versed in SI, due to the need for interoperability with our NATO partners. Check your whiskey bottles, likewise for the liquor industry. The scientific community is already there. The electronics industry has always used SI units. Likewise the biotech field. 30 years ago weather reports were given in both Celsius and Fahrenheit, until Reagan came by and halted it. It's time to pick up the ball and finish what is long, long overdue.

We need to do this for so many reasons, the easiest to see is job creation. Think of how much work it's going to take to change road signs, mileage posts, etc!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=50578330744

It sounds at if everyone on here is really passionate about getting us to finish our metrication.  I like that.  Now what we need to do is to show people how easy metric is when they say it would be too hard to do the conversions.  When someone says that to me I show them examples of how they can learn with out doing clumsy conversions.  I work in a grocery store so I have many opportunities to educate my customers.  When a customer buys an 8 kg bag of dog food (most pet food makers use metric) I let them know that is what 8 kg feels like.  So maybe when the pick up the dog food they will remember what I said.  Likewise when someone buys a bag of ice, I ask would you like the 3.2 kg bag or the 7 lb. bag.  When asked what the difference is I say nothing.  I tell them that is what 3.2 kg feels like.  When I reference temperatures I use Celsius all the time so people can see what a temperature feels like in Celsius.  I have many more tricks up my sleeve to educate my customers and I do it in a fun, humorous, and friendly manor.  I recently had a customer who took a job in a plant making lotions and antibiotic cremes.  His job requires him to use metric exclusively.  He told me that because of my insistence on metric, it got him more curious and subsequently he taught himself.  He was the only one out of 20 people who applied because he already knew basic metric and could step in to the job immediately.  This customer has become a friend of mine and he used to tease me at first.  Now he tells me that he does most everything in his daily life in metric.  These are just some examples of how we can get everyone else on board.  

Um, Edward, we didn't walk on the moon. Go Metric!

The metric system is numeric logic. Americans seem to reject the system accepted and needed throughout the world.
Esperanto is lingusitic logic. We should have an alliance with the Esperanto movement. See the proposal that won second place in Education. Or see my blog www.EsperantoFriends.blogspot.com

I used to tell people that adopting the metric system would save us energy:
It takes 68 degrees Fahrenheit to feel comfortable, but only 20 degrees Celsius! Think of the savings! (yes, I know, but the anti-scientific galloots who mindlessly resist going metric would probably fall for it.)

I sure like the sound of 7 inches better than .18 meters :)

Seriously though - I'll vote for this one.

It would never be said .18 meters.  It would 18 cm.  Now get your mind out of the gutter Jake.  ;o)

If we had fully adopted the metric system when we should have, the "Stonehenge" scene in "This is Spinal Tap" would never have happened, and Spinal Tap would still be on top!

In section 205b of the 1975 Metric conversion act the declared policy of the US government is to restrict traditional units to non-business activities. Is buying gasoline, timber, or groceries a non-business activity? Why is everyone so disloyal to the declared policy of the US government?

p.s. in the rest of the world, a metre is a unit of length, a meter is a measuring instrument.

Perhaps we can prosecute those who are resistant to metrication under the Patriot Act!

Michael, I understand the distinction between 'metre' and 'meter', but I for one will be happy if the US actually starts using it at all. We can correct the grammar later.

Here's a quick guide to "think in metric"...
http://xkcd.com/526/

Re: http://xkcd.com/526/
The symbol for speed in kilometres per hour is actually km/h.
kph was never correct and although sometimes found in use, it is not the right symbol to use.
m/s for metres per second is correct, of course.

When the USA does change its speed limit signs, it would be good to have it in km/h and also in m/s. It is much easier to visualise a car moving so many metres in one second, whereas trying to measure how many kilometres in 1 hour is not possible by eye in a few seconds.

I always wondered why people use km/h (which I think looks a lot better), but never mi/h for miles per hour. MPH just seems so... non-scientific. Even when I write miles per hour with the symbol I always write "mi/h" because it just looks better.

1.  Posted by Fred Ferrigno on 12/06/2008    I don't support the government mandating the metric system for the same reason I don't support the government mandating English as the official language. The government exists to serve the interest of its people, not to tell the people what is in their interest.
_______________________________________________________

An interesting, but somewhat fluid position? While USC is mandated in the US, the English language is only in 30 States. Nevertheless try to conduct your tax affairs in Hindi anywhere, or submit your new house plans to the planning authorities in mm and see what happens? You won’t succeed despite the fact that USC is legally based on the metric system.  It would also be interesting to know why you consider that metrication is not in the interest of the People? Have you evaluated both systems and found USC better suited to conduct trade with the metric world? Do you find it advantageous that US children are forced to learn two measurement languages in a world that speaks only one? Did the government consult you about the war in Iraq? Maybe life is not as simple, as you make it out to be?

metric system for the same reason I don't support the government mandating English as the official language. The government exists to serve the interest of its people, not to tell the people what is in their interest.
_____________________________________________________
The government is supposed to serve the people, yes, but did the people vote on digital TV? Did we ever get to decide whether or not we wanted completely digital TV? No. But they're doing it. Why? Because it will free up the band for other things, like emergency services, and that's helpful. So is the metric system.

Last year I switched my cycling computer to metric measurements.  It made sense as sanctioned cycling road races held in the U.S. are required by USA Cycling to have signage indicating 1km to finish and 200m to finish.  I still occasionally do a conversion in my head when I look at the speedo and it say 45km/h and I think, oh that's 28 mi/h but I'm doing that less and less. 

It's time for the U.S. to get on board the metric train!

I urge the American people to keep it simple.  The metric system is a simple, decimal system of measurement. In its current form, it is called the International System of Units, abbreviated SI in all languages. Generally, the U.S. has supported the use of the metric system, and in 1988, it declared SI to be the preferred system for U.S. trade. It just hasn't formally converted the Nation to SI as the predominant, everyday measurement system. It has not done so because it has lacked the political and entrepreneurial leadership to finish the job.  In 1971, the U.S. Commerce Department recommended to Congress that the country change over to metric in 10 years, but that goal was never fleshed out in the legislation that emerged.

In order to change over to metric, the country needs a coordinated, national plan backed up by the government, major industries, the media, and the people. This is a genuinely national goal, affecting every citizen, every manager, every academic institution, and every government body in America. 

The new President ought to work to revive the U.S. Metric Board established by law in 1975. But, this time, he needs to give this board some teeth, appoint people to it that are totally united in their commitment to metrication and have the full backing of the societal sectors they are going to represent.  Half measures will avail us nothing. Measurement involves everyone, and we must have a total, national commitment to this major change in the way we do things, from sea to shining sea.

Paul Trusten, R.Ph.
Public Relations Director
U.S. Metric Association, Inc.
www.metric.org
trusten@grandecom.net

Dito to everything Paul Trusten wrote!  This issue is a slow-burner and nothing will make it go away.  The longer the United States delays the introduction of the metric system, the costlier it is going to get for the country. 

Believe me, it's no great deal changing over to the metric system. How do I know? I'm Australian and I lived through it.
Switching over to measuring in kilograms and litres was no problem at all. The road signs were a bit more of a challenge, but we soon got used to km/h in place of mph.  It took a couple of years before 20 degrees felt mild, 30 degrees felt hot and 40 degrees was an absolute stinker but then it felt completely natural. 
Measuring our weight in kilograms rather than stones and pounds was no great deal. The only real challenge was trying to visualise someone who was 180 centimetres tall. Yards and metres are close, and the tonne is close to the long ton that we used before we changed over. Our old hundredweight is 2% more than 100kg so that was no problem. That leaves inches and feet which do feel nice, but you get used to milimetres, centimetres and metres. 
How did we manage so smoothly in Australia? We gave up the old measures step by step. First went the temperatures. All our road signs were changed over in a month but it took longer to change over the weights and measures. Now we are so used to buying things by the kilo that I can't imagine going back to pounds and ounces.
If we can do it and Canada and New Zealand can do it, then there's no reason why the United States can't do it too. 

My metric adoption story is that I moved to metric Japan decades ago and was forced to metricate whole hog in order to function in the society.  Around me were no supporting mechanisms to ease me gradually into the metric world.  Though tough at first, and I did initially spend time doing many calculations back and forth to traditional US measures, it wasn't long before I could navigate the metric sea of things.

One of the easier adjustments to make was to convert my personal 4-inch measuring instrument, my forefinger, into my 10 cm measure, a handy device to use for better grasping the rough size of the things.

It was reassuring to note that even though Japan has gone metric, its traditional proverbs, verbal expressions, traditional stories, and so on, that contain references to old measures, have been left as is.  The meaning buried in these bearers of culture can be largely understood even if one does not fully understand the traditional measures.  It gave hope that "inch worms," "Give him an inch and he'll take a mile," or whatever, need not be edited, since these things are unlikely to threaten the validity of the US's eventual metrication.  Instead, they can remain as a reminder of how traditional measures were once important, but no more.

Barry, your story indeed gives us hope that the conversion can be made without turning the country upside down.

On the other hand, I would hope that no one with any common sense would stand in the way of progress simply in order to preserve the meaning of old idioms. If that were true, we would never have moved from LP recordings to CDs. After all, the expression "he sounds like a broken record" makes no sense to anyone who has never listened to an LP record on a turntable with a stack of quarters taped to the tonearm.

I have personally switched the thermostats in my house, and the temperature display in my car, to display temperatures only in Celsius.

Another pet peeve of mine, although not strictly related to metrication, is the use of 12-hour time. As a software developer, it is much easier to program in 24-hour time. I have personally been using 24 hour time since I built my first digital clock back in the 1970s, and became even more frustrated when I traveled to Europe and found that they have largely adopted it. It's easy to adopt: just add 12 for 11 hours a day, and subtract 12 for one hour a day, when most people are sleeping anyway.

Peter, you will pleased to know that 24 hour time is common in Japan, which I, too, find much easier to visualize than using AM and PM. Time systems have changed a great deal throughout human history, and there have even been efforts to introduce metric time and calendars, but I don't think we need to go there just yet.

There is no official policy that says old Japanese expressions should not be revised to reflect metrication. The country just moved on.  Japan, being many times older than the US, has "moved on" many times in its long history as government policies, religions, calendars and timekeeping methods, and so on have changed course. That has resulted in what appears to be a cultural hodgepodge. But, as one sorts through it, we can see it's a record of what has happened in Japanese history. There are indeed now new expressions that have subsequently appeared reflecting acceptance of the metric standard.

I would not want to see the US, in the manner by which we've gone through our language to make it politically correct, again plow through our brief heritage removing and revising phrases that reference traditional measures. I hope we don't feel we have to erase all signs of our non-metric past, burning our cultural bridges behind us. After metrication, it would be much more natural to let English expressions that no longer are useful just wither away from disuse.

Woops! In my posting above I said that our old hundredweight was 100kg. Wrong! It's just over 50kg. Oh well it doesn't matter now because we do all our measurements in grams and kilograms, and as you can see, I'm beginning to forget the old measures.
Inches and feet are harder to forget, but yards and metres are so close that metres are taking over. Metres have already taken over in sports, where all the measurements on the sporting field are in metres, and have been for decades. Miles have dropped out (my son has to ask me to convert the figures to make sense of news reports from the UK and the USA when they use the old measures. Temperature measures have gone over to Celsius. The last gasp is when we have a very hot day and someone will say that the temperature is over 100 in the old scale. Now in these days of global warming, a forecast of 40 degrees Celsius is the one that makes us gasp.
Barry Duell need have no fear. A properly conducted metric conversion will cause the old measures to wither quite naturally. What you don't want is something half-hearted, where you keep some of the old measures for old times sake, as England appears to have done. That's just a recipe for confusion.

Bruce et al., Australia's highly successful conversion program was voluntary, but organized.  The failed U.S. effort to metricate in the 1970s was not guided by  a specific timetable, and the U.S. Metric Board, established by the Metric Conversion Act of 1975, was deeply divided in its commitment to metric. If a nation is going to to change over to the metric system, it simply cannot have the principle coordinating body in the effort to have opponents within its ranks. It must be absolutely united on the goal.

It is my hope that President Obama will eventually call for U.S. metrication, appoint an effective U.S. Metric Board, present the challenge to U.S. industry leaders, and urge Congress to enact a realistic timetable for this country to become predominantly metric 10 years from the start of the effort.  The approach was best described in former U.S. Commerce Secretary Maurice Stans' cover letter on the 1971 report calling for metrication:

THE HONORABLE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE HONORABLE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIRS:

have the honor to transmit to you the Report on the U.S: Metric Study,which was conducted by the National Bureau of Standards of the Department of Commerce.Thousands of individuals, firms and organized groups, representative of oursociety, participated in the Study. After weighing the extensive evidence presented by these participants, this report concludes that the United States should change to' the metric system through a coordinated national program,I agree with this conclusion, and therefore recommend-

-That the United States change to the International Metric System deliberately and carefully;

- That this be done through a coordinated national program;

- That the Congress assign the responsibility for guiding the change, and anticipating the kinds of special problems described in the report, to a central coordinating body responsive to all sectors of our society;

- That within this guiding framework, detailed plans and timetables be worked out by these sectors themselves;

- That early priority be given to educating every American schoolchildand the public at large to think in metric terms;

- That immediate steps be taken by the Congress to foster U,S. participation in international standards activities;

- That in order to encourage efficiency and minimize the overall coststo society, the general rule should be that any changeover costs shall"lie where they fall";

- That the Congress, after deciding on a plan for the nation, establish a target date ten years ahead, by which time the U.S. will have becomepredominantly, though not exclusively, metric;

- That there be a firm government commitment to this goal.

The Department of Commerce stands ready to provide whatever furtherassistance the Congress may require in working out a national plan and puttingit into effect.Respectfully submitted,)¿~~ ¡. Ar__
Maurice H. StansSecretary of Commerce, " " " . "0'"' _ .,--.,_. ,,' '. , -- "

Paul, in my ignorance, I didn't know the federal government had advanced so far forward in planning for metrication. We must look like fools before the rest of the world for not being able to get our act together.

Has an analysis been done of the successes and failures that the rest of the world have experienced going metric? We must surely have much to learn from the more than 100 countries that have gone metric before us. It would be to our advantage not to repeat anyone else's mistakes.