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0 pointsmulmen3y ago0 comments

This is such a tired cliche. The actual history is far more interesting. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrication_in_the_United_St...

The US was an original signatory of the Meter Convention. Our customary units have been based on metric units since 1893. Our food packaging features metric units. Our scientists use metric units. Our school children learn the metric system. Our military uses the metric system. Our cars are built with metric fasteners.

Changing informal habits takes decades and has questionable benefit. Canada tried it in the 70s and is going to take another generation at least to fully convert for informal use.

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joenot4433y ago

Speaking as a Canadian, I’d be surprised if we ever fully culturally metrify, specifically when it comes to height and weight. We just consume too much American media which uses convenient imperial bars like 6’ or 200lbs to ever change, I think.

I actually think we’re somewhat lucky in that most of us can immediately grok a measurement in either system when we see one online.

mulmenOP3y ago

I don't think you can blame American media. Canada can trace its usage of Imperial units to the British Empire. The United States of America as an independent nation has never at any point in its history used Imperial units. US Customary units share some of the names but it is a different system. This refinement of units continued globally and with international collaboration became the metric (si) system. The US historically had closer ties to France than Britain so the systems diverged literally centuries ago.

Canadian metrication follows the rest of the British empire which was centuries behind the rest of the world (including the US) in metrication.

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