In the late 1700s, Thomas Jefferson wanted the United States to adopt a unified system of measurement and saw the metric system as the best solution. However, a pirate attack in the Caribbean disrupted these plans. Joseph Dombey, a French scientist carrying a kilogram and meter stick to demonstrate the metric system, was captured by pirates. By the time France sent another scientist to explain the system to the Americans, Jefferson was no longer in office, and plans to go metric were disregarded.

      • quixotic120@lemmy.world
        191·
        1 year ago

        Or it could’ve led to a butterfly effect where measurements were much easier to understand and as a result scientific and engineering progress moved along a bit faster

        Maybe both; maybe that resulted in like a huge bomb that destroyed the world. Or maybe it resulted in utopia where we figure out eternal life and cured all disease

        • Amir @lemmy.ml
          21·
          1 year ago

          Also that NASA’s scientists with many suppliers would have performed their tasks and intended with quality, following through schedules. Through a handful of projects. Meaning that some space missions would not have failed. Those outcomes could have made us living and work on the Moon by now. (Maybe).

          Great historic trivia. Have always wondered why the US had chosen their system. Still never to late to change over.

    • Raltoid@lemmy.world
      22·
      1 year ago

      I always find it funny to read about how much it’s the public who wants America to be a “leader” and not a “follower” and keep resisting the change. Meanwhile metric is in widespread use across the country. Most science and medicine is done in metric. NASA and the US Military are metric. Most soldiers knows how long a “klick” is, which is literally just slang for kilometer. Every car mechanic can show you exactly how much a centimeter is, since the 10mm wrench/socket size is burned into their memory.

      And because of the global trade market, a lot of products that are also meant for export is manufactured in metric

      Not to mention that when it comes to conversion it’s so much easier that US students are in some cases taught to convert to metric, apply that formula and then convert back(like calculating work) since it’s so much faster and easier.

      • Flaky_Fish69@kbin.social
        5·
        1 year ago

        NASA still almost lost the Mars Climate Orbiter in '98- they used metric, and Lockheed used US customary. Probably put it on approach too close to mars, and uh, it “encountered” the planet…

        NASA has the best euphemisms.

        (edit: also in 3d printing world…we almost always use metric, partly because it’s literally an international community.)

        • Paradoxvoid@aussie.zone
          21·
          1 year ago

          One thing I find humourous is the term ‘US Customary’ - I’ve only come across it recently; to most of the world they’re Imperial units, which is ironic given the nature of how the USA came about.

          • raktheundead@fedia.io
            3·
            1 year ago

            Strictly speaking, there are a few places where Imperial measurements diverge from US customary measurements; the sizes of a fluid ounce, pint and gallon are a few examples.

      • gravitas_deficiency
        61·
        1 year ago

        To be fair, the 10mm socket is burned into their memory because they keep fucking disappearing.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
        21·
        1 year ago

        I think it’s funny that they have to have a converter button on every medical scale in this country so that patients can find out what their weight is in pounds.

  • 15liam20@lemmy.world
    111·
    1 year ago

    Fast forward to the present day and for most of the world the only things measured in inches are TV’s and dicks.

  • Cityshrimp@lemmy.world
    72·
    1 year ago

    Why would it take a scientist to demonstrate metric system…? Everything is in powers of 10. How hard is that to explain?

      • Flaky_Fish69@kbin.social
        41·
        1 year ago

        actually, they didn’t need examples (even if it would make things easier.)

        for example, the meter was originally defined as one ten millionth of the distance between the equator and the north pole. (which, given the necessary instrumentation, was something “anyone” could measure. well, instrumentation and instruction.) it’s now based on the emissions of krypton-86, and the wave length of a certain part of it. Again anyone with the proper tools is able to measure this.)

        Similarly, the kilogram was defined- originally- as the mass of one liter of water. the liter was defined as the volume of a cube with a length of ten centimeters… (today it gets quite a bit more complicated, but based on observable constants…)

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
          31·
          1 year ago

          This is America, pal. We don’t believe anything unless we someone tells it to us with conviction. Hence Donald Trump’s presidency.

        • cynar@lemmy.world
          1·
          1 year ago

          One of the ongoing goals in science is to reference all metric units to fundamental forces. Basically, we want a system where you can write down everything you need to recreate all our measurement systems.

          Right now, most are referenced that way, but not all. Last I heard the kg was being difficult. I believe the plan is to reference it to a perfect sphere of perfectly crystalline silicon-28 of a given size. Creating such a sphere is extremely difficult however.

    • Rivalarrival@lemmy.today
      21·
      1 year ago

      Powers of 10 is actually the main problem with the metric system. It makes geometry ugly as sin, and isn’t sufficiently granular for convenient use in the kitchen.

      Whatever asshole invented us with 10 fingers instead of 12 is begging for my boot in his ass. Geometry is elegant in duodecimal. But because we developed basic arithmetic with 10 fingers, we have to resort to ugly hacks like a sexagesimal unit circle to make geometry compatible with decimal.

    • Anders429@lemmy.world
      1·
      1 year ago

      And it sounds like Jefferson was already familiar with it anyway, if he was thinking it was the best system. I find it very doubtful that the only holdup was that there was no one to demonstrate it.