# Why not make a new SI system? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 20, 2003, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-a-new-si-system/183139 "2003-06-20T12:44:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-a-new-si-system/183139/21 "2003-06-20T23:24:08Z")
Tracer, You are referring to that obsolete temperature scale invented by the Franch scientist Rene Antoine Ferchault de Reaumur (1683-1757). And for those of you that really need to convert to and from those units (as well as other temperature scales) please visit the temperature converter on my website: [http://www.1728.com/convtmp2.htm](http://www.1728.com/convtmp2.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-a-new-si-system/183139/22 "2003-06-20T23:49:03Z")
In the lab we do metric, at home i do US system (whatever it’s called). I have no problem with knowing lots of different sizes. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-a-new-si-system/183139/23 "2003-06-21T00:29:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wolf\_meister \* > **You are referring to that obsolete temperature scale invented by the Franch scientist Rene Antoine Ferchault de Reaumur (1683-1757).** So … in this Reaumur guy’s scale, water freezes at 0 degrees (just like in Celsius), but water boils as **80** degrees? Why’d he choose 80? ---
**Author:** ![ElJeffe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@ElJeffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElJeffe)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-a-new-si-system/183139/24 "2003-06-21T00:50:57Z")
> [@](#): > > Actually, Smiling Bandit, I believe Thomas Jefferson and his compartriots came up with a system very similar to what you had in mind (foot = 10 inches, and so on). However it was put aside, and eventually the ‘French’ defined metric system (which, for a time in the early 1800s, was out of favor in France itself) won out. This “decimalization” of the english system is still used occasionally in engineering. Metric inches, decimal fractions of inches instead of the common 1/4", 1/8", and whatnot… It’s far from common, and there’s something just plain odd about it, but it works. Me, when I needed to do calculations with english units, I’d convert to metric, do all the math, and then convert back. It was a helluva lot easier than trying to balance all of the conversion factors in the equations themselves. Personally, as an engineer, I hated Imperial units. “Slug”, my ass. But as a normal guy, I have no problem with it. Anyway, I know both, so I can order groceries anywhere in the world without getting confused. 🙂 And, speaking as an arrogant American, I kinda like the fact that we do things a little differently than everyone else. It makes us special. 😃 Jeff ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-a-new-si-system/183139/25 "2003-06-21T01:01:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ElJeffe \* > **Personally, as an engineer, I hated Imperial units. “Slug”, my ass. But as a normal guy, I have no problem with it. Anyway, I know both, so I can order groceries anywhere in the world without getting confused. 🙂** So, where in the world can you order groceries in slugs? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-a-new-si-system/183139/26 "2003-06-21T06:04:47Z")
In my line of work, we use a lovely little unit called the mil. Confusing as heck when people using the metric system don’t realize that a mil is 1000th of an inch, not a shortened form of millimeter. Um, no. I didn’t have a point. Carry on! Julie ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-a-new-si-system/183139/27 "2003-06-22T01:34:03Z")
Reminds me of how some manufacturing engineers are now using decimal inches (instead of 1/4 inch, 5/16 inch, etc.). What with a mil being exactly 0.001 inches and all. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-a-new-si-system/183139/28 "2003-06-22T10:44:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jsgoddess \* > **Confusing as heck when people using the metric system don’t realize that a mil is 1000th of an inch, not a shortened form of millimeter.** Does anyone else smell another mars lander? ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-a-new-si-system/183139/29 "2003-06-22T12:15:51Z")
A ‘mil’ is a ‘milliradian’, no? ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-a-new-si-system/183139/30 "2003-06-22T14:38:43Z")
Could be – but the first time I heard of a “mil”, it was 1/10 of one U.S. cent (i.e. a millidollar). Gas stations in the U.S. still price gasoline to the mil. ---
**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-a-new-si-system/183139/31 "2003-06-23T16:16:16Z")
No, a “mil” is 1/1000 of a US dollar. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-a-new-si-system/183139/32 "2003-06-23T20:40:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bippy the Beardless \* > **It takes a little mental meth to do 1/4 pound = 1/8 kg "Can I have 125 grams of Cheddar Cheese please"** So the point is…mental meth give you the munchies? ;j ---
**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-a-new-si-system/183139/33 "2003-06-23T21:06:53Z")
OK, here is a link to Thomas Jefferson’s decimal measurement plan (in his own words, so you have to jump to the bottom of the page) [http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Gene\_Nygaard/t\_jeff.htm](http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Gene_Nygaard/t_jeff.htm) > [@](#): > > Let the second rod, then, as before described, be the standard of measure; and let it be divided into five equal parts, each of which shall be called a foot; for, perhaps, it may be better generally to retain the name of the nearest present measure, where is one tolerably near. It will be about one quarter of an inch shorter than the present foot. > Let the foot be divided into 10 inches; > The inch into 10 lines; > The line into 10 points; > Let 10 feet make a decad; > 10 decads one rood; > 10 roods a furlong; > 10 furlongs a mile. There’s more, but this will give you an idea of the system… ---
**Author:** ![easy\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-a-new-si-system/183139/34 "2003-06-23T21:08:10Z")
This is my favorite set of mixed measurements. I worked at a medical company in the guide catheter division. For those of you not in the know, a guide catheter is basically a tube that is inserted into the femoral artery (in the thigh) up the vascular system to your coronary arteries. Then, angioplasty balloons, stents, and what have you are pushed through it. We measured the outer diameters in “French” (1 French = 1/3 mm). Common sizes were 6-9 French. We measured the inner diameters in thousandths of an inch. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-a-new-si-system/183139/35 "2003-06-24T00:12:02Z")
One- **third** of a millimeter?! Jeez, what **were** the French people smoking that day? ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-a-new-si-system/183139/36 "2003-06-24T18:26:04Z")
Take back the world of scientific measurements from the French! No, seriously, I figured that if the US had its own system, then we could be perfectly happy with our revised Imperial units and not get bothered by the freakish metric cultists. They’re scary. They threatened me with death. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-a-new-si-system/183139/37 "2003-06-24T19:29:11Z")
The only metric cultist I know of who would threaten anyone with death is [this Champions character who fires wooden metersticks out of her sleeves](http://www.netcom.com/~rogermw/champions/meter_maid.html). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-a-new-si-system/183139.md?page=1)