this post was submitted on 31 Mar 2024
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Why still using the imperial system? (abananaforscale.com)
submitted 8 months ago by Zerush@lemmy.ml to c/memes@lemmy.ml
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[–] Zerush@lemmy.ml 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Division no is the problem in one unit, inch, feet, etc, because use fraccions instead of decimls, but the problem is the conversion from inch, feet to others (yards, miles), which is the source of a lot of errors, like those from the Mars probes or some catastrophigs breaks of bridges in the past, apart of some problems in physics, because using for weught and mass the same unit. No, imperial are not human measures, never has been since humans count with 10 fingers.

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 4 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Nothing against metric, but base-10 is a complete train wreck of a numbering system. Mathematics in general, and geometry in particular, are gorgeous and elegant in base 12.

[–] Midnitte@beehaw.org 2 points 8 months ago

Are you even a mathematician if you don't calculate using the sexagesimal system?

[–] Zerush@lemmy.ml -1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Maybe, but imperial not even this, using absolute random units.

[–] frightful_hobgoblin@lemmy.ml 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Do you people legit believe people used feet&inches, pounds&ounces for over 2000 years for no reason?

[–] Jesus_666@feddit.de 7 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

And also ells, rods, cubits, paces, furlongs, oxgangs, lots, batmans... all with subtly different regional definitions (with regions sometimes as small as one village).

People used loosely defined measurements based on things like their own body parts or how much land they guessed their ox could plow on an average day. Things like mathematical convenience or precision were not all that important; being able to measure (or estimate) without tools was.