Why isn't the metric system the only system taught?

[GlennO]

There is only one modern defintion: 10^9. This is what is meant here. Anyone claiming 10^12 == a billion is a historian or a troll.

Your meaning was clear enough. I was reflecting on how “billion” is a still a source of confusion to this day in the UK. So much so that the word is often avoided. It wasn’t that long ago that they changed the definition of a billion .

 

[biskitboy]

or like javascript

This is the hill we should be dying on.

 

[iaresee]

It wasn’t that long ago that they changed the definition of a billion

It was almost 50 years ago now.

 

[Toopy14]

There really should be 13 months with 4 weeks each, and a holiday every year or two holidays on a leap year.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/29/us/permanent-calendar-leap-year-trnd/index.html

 

[jefferski]

And if you don't see how english is bad - Just ask anyone that knows a phonetic language to start a spelling bee contest in that language, see the reaction you get.

From what I've heard, most languages don't even have spelling bees. There'd be no point.

Another English-ism that really messes w/ non-native speakers but we don't even think about is the correct order of adjectives...

 

[AlbertA]

From what I've heard, most languages don't even have spelling bees. There'd be no point.

Exactly my point

 

[unix-guy]

From what I've heard, most languages don't even have spelling bees. There'd be no point.

Another English-ism that really messes w/ non-native speakers but we don't even think about is the correct order of adjectives...

And then there's things like this:

https://thelanguagenerds.com/why-do...ng-but-not-flop-flip-tock-tick-and-kong-king/

 

[jefferski]

And then there's things like this:

https://thelanguagenerds.com/why-do...ng-but-not-flop-flip-tock-tick-and-kong-king/

Yep. We don't even think about it.

In the article it calls this Ablaut Reduplication. Maybe that's the answer to creating the perfect formant block ;-)

 

[Muad'zin]

From what I've heard, most languages don't even have spelling bees. There'd be no point.

Another English-ism that really messes w/ non-native speakers but we don't even think about is the correct order of adjectives...

That might be a peculiarity of US culture though. As I'm not sure they have spelling bees in the UK. Just like child beauty pageants are also some American peculiarity. You guys seem to love pageants and contests.

 

[guitarnerdswe]

There is only one modern defintion: 10^9. This is what is meant here. Anyone claiming 10^12 == a billion is a historian or a troll.

Or live in a country without English as their native language. In Swedish, 10^6 is a miljon (surprise, surprise). 10^9 is a miljard, 10^12 is a biljon, 10^15 is a biljard, 10^18 is a triljon etc.

 

[maxdown]

Give some people an inch and they'll take 1.6093 km

 

[AlbertA]

Give some people an inch and they'll take 1.6093 km

0.99997266 miles ? That's pretty specific.

 

[maxdown]

0.99997266 miles ? That's pretty specific.

The other 1.44042624 inches is the distance my codpiece extends beyond my feet which I thought I'd better not include.

 

[AlbertA]

The other 1.44042624 inches is the distance my codpiece extends beyond my feet which I thought I'd better not include.

Now I'm wondering what the other unaccounted 7.41263846 mm are for

 

[guitarnerdswe]

Now I'm wondering what the other unaccounted 7.41263846 mm are for

Happy to see you perhaps?

 

[jefferski]

0.99997266 miles ? That's pretty specific.

That's because you already gave him an inch. He's just taking the rest of what's owed to him

 

[maxdown]

Now I'm wondering what the other unaccounted 7.41263846 mm are for

I need to cut my toe nails

 

[BaronVonGrim]

Too many mistakes to be made converting to the metric system. 2.54cm which they then just round down to 25mm. Just call it 1 inch. Just call it a 10ft highway shoulder.. you make those clowns out in the field think... you'll get a 3ft shoulder on mistake

 

[Tremonti]

One could use the same logic many here have articulated to ask why don't we all speak English (1.39 Billion Speakers) instead of Chinese (1.15 Billion Speakers)?

When in Rome do as the Romans do...

Different. Math and measurements should use the most practical form that can be extrapolated easily. Metric system does this, Imperial system does not. Language is not the same discussion.

 

[favance]

Different. Math and measurements should use the most practical form that can be extrapolated easily. Metric system does this, Imperial system does not. Language is not the same discussion.

The Imperial system worked ok when we put a man on the moon...