When I started school, my kindergarten teacher (kindergarten here is a compulsory part of the K-12 system for 4.5-5.5 year olds) explained she needed to teach us a new system and wasn't so confident about doing so. Centimetres were used because they were the closest thing to inches that was practical. I was fortunate to learn both systems side by side.
Yeah, I was a few years older when decimals came in, in the uk so I have a foot in both camps. 😀
And hey I never knew that about Bob!
And hey I never knew that about Bob!
Don't even get me started on time. 60 seconds, 60 minutes, 24 hours but split into 12 hour sections! WTF?
...There is too big of a jump between centimeters and meters. How did nobody think of something for in-between?
...
But, few things were as bad as the US cars from the 80s that had both metric and standard nuts and bolts on them.
(1) 12 hours came up because of sundials. And years are just the way it is.... the Earth's rotation is not a perfect number of days.
(2) Indeed, how about "natural logarithms" and other constants in physics, chemistry and math?
(3) Between meter and centimeter? Heck.... it's called DECIMETER. It's exactly 1.0E+11 pm.
(4) Oh, yes... it got worse. Like my '76 Alfa Alfetta GT. The importer added stuff like the AC and other.. and then the factory and the importer threw away all the domentation and bill of materials... and, get this, they used different parts on different production runs. Getting the window crank replaced in my car took a full month as we had to go through three different versions to find on that fit!
???(3) Between meter and centimeter? Heck.... it's called DECIMETER. It's exactly 1.0E+9 pm.
10 centimeters = 1 decimeter.
100 millimeters = 1 decimeter.
Not very common, perfectly valid, and the SI system tends to use steps of 3, like micro, milli and so on.
100 millimeters = 1 decimeter.
Not very common, perfectly valid, and the SI system tends to use steps of 3, like micro, milli and so on.
Also centiliter (= 10 milliliters), deciliter (1/10 liter) hectoliter (100 liter) dekagram (10 gram = 1/100 kilogram), hectar (= 10000 m2), mázsa (= 100 kg) is used in everyday life over here.
In some countries spirits are measured in grams, not centiliters or milliliters.
In some countries spirits are measured in grams, not centiliters or milliliters.
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But, few things were as bad as the US cars from the 80s that had both metric and standard nuts and bolts on them.
My son is a plant mechanic for the State dealership (here) for a US manufacturer of heavy machinery. They make the whole machine except for the engines, which range from Cummins and Caterpillar to Kubota, installed at the US factory. The engine fasteners are metric and the rest are imperial, even on new, current, machines. Mind you, it's not surprising given that when our guys visit the US head office many of the factory workers still chew tobacco...
Pity the vintage Fiat restorer. All the bolts are metric, but with obsolete thread picthes only available from Bugatti restorers, at Bugatti prices.
Yes, that's going to be interesting. I've had a tough time cracking loose bolts that haven't moved in 10 years. Can't imagine what the 99 year olds are like.
It would be nice if we decided to follow the idea behind this thread. Wandering into Metric vs SI has done little to lighten the mood.
I bought a 1 year membership at the gym.
My bank called to see if my credit card had been stolen.
My bank called to see if my credit card had been stolen.
Agree Cal.....it has screwed up the thread!It would be nice if we decided to follow the idea behind this thread. Wandering into Metric vs SI has done little to lighten the mood.

OK, forget about the silly numbers, it's the process that counts.Nope, still not lightening the mood.
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