Posted by John Nichols on March 25, 2005 at 14:31:22 from 165.91.196.105 user Mcneacail.
In Reply to: Re: Mary Anne - Construction posted by andyb on March 25, 2005 at 01:34:41:
Andy:
I research in metric and teach in both, I travel all over the world, I have kids who are purely Australian metric and do not even know what a mile, foot or inch is and an American wife who talks in imperial.
4 inches is exactly 101.6 mm. 1.6 mm is 1/15.875 of an inch. I can measure accurately on timber work to an eighth, although for fine work I use mm.
The blasted plans are in imperial, but my wife bought them for me, and I do not like to translate the main measurements but for the fine work I check in metric. If you simply say that 1 mm is 1/25 of an inch the rest is easy.
Of course there are many ethics issues in this problem - mainly related to the death of infants - on being asked to comment on that point often I remember what I learned at 9.
"Better drowned than duffers - if not duffer will not drown."
Any person with a young child in the modern era who works in imperial is a duffer. To many medical accidents (premature deaths) occur in translating pounds weight to kilograms. If you are an elderly person with grandchildren and you ask for bananas at the local shop in lbs then you are a duffer.
I rely on my decision on this point on being taught by AR and Commander Walker. It is just an inate part of my soul.
If I offended anyone I am sorry - but having buried children who died due to medical errors I am a bit of stick in the mud on this point.
JMN