Peanuts by Charles Schulz for January 17, 2025

Guess it wasn’t a ruler with both 12 inches and 30 cm on it.

I remember math class and the “switch to metrics” that never happened because they made it so hard. All these calculations! Then I moved to Europe and figured it out in about 2 weeks. A kilo of potatoes is about so many. A litre of milk is about 4 glassfuls. 1m50 is enough fabric to make a dress. Like that. As for temperature, when you get in single digits it’s cold. In my city in summer, if it gets over 37º (and it often does, well over) you stay indoors after about 2 PM.

47 years later and the US still hasn’t officially switched to the metric system, although those of us in the scientific fields have used metric units for years.

Everywhere they use the Metric system, they actually depend on the Imperial system. If you don’t believe me, try to find a Metric ratchet. They are all Imperial. You can’t use a Metric socket without an Imperial ratchet.

Was it the Hubble Telescope or a Mars lander, that had a big problem because someone used metric on the specs instead of Standard inches?

Well they didn’t switch, didn’t they??

The Sixties when the future was bright

All you need to remember is -40 = -40

The big switch to Metric was supposed to happen by 1980. I remember having to do those darn conversion formulas. “27 inches is how many centimeters”. We got to hate the word “metric”. I think it got to be a spending issue in the end.

We received a new lab freezer last year. When setting it up, I had to change the setting from Fahrenheit to Celcius. I was having an issue getting to the “deep menu settings” so I called customer service in another state. We’re going through the steps and I hear another CS guy in the back ground ask “why does she need Celcius?” My guy replies “because she’s in Canada.” My reply? “No, I’m in south-central Kentucky standing in a lab, and we use metrics for temperatures. Do I sound Canadian??” The call was on speaker—my co-workers were rolling.

It was 1963 when they told us we would “soon” be switching to the Metric System. Uh huh. Here I sit, collecting Social Security, and it’s STILL not happening other than 2 liter soda bottles.

If the U.S. would ever switch to the metric system, I predict manufacturers would take advantage of the confusion and give us less product for more money.

I remember driving over the George Washington Bridge, on the way to Pennsylvania, back in the ‘70s sometime, and there was a speed limit sign on the bridge in km/hr. with a small sign under it reading “Think Metric.” I think that was the only metric road sign I ever saw in the United States. When I lived in Buffalo for a couple of years, we used to go to Canada regularly—no passport needed back in the ’70s—and they’d already converted, so I got used to speed limits in km/hr. and buying gas by the liter (it was cheaper in Canada than in the States back then).

I don’t have the metric system down cold, but thanks to President Carter I can understand some of it. RIP, Mr. President!

It will always be yard lines as long as there is a NFL

Aviation still uses the imperial system. Distances (like visibility) are measured in miles. Runway lengths and altitudes are measured in feet.

Barometric pressure is measured in inches of mercury.

The knot or nautical mile is a “natural” measurement. It is one second of arc along the Earth’s surface.

The official language of aviation is AMERICAN English.

When doing woodwork I often use a metric measuring tape. It’s so much easier calculating millimeters than fractions of inches.

Bru nice excuse

Was it in the 1970’s schools were trying to get kids to learn the metric system?

By staying on the Imperial system, our carpenters are really good at all that math they claimed to hate in school.

Linus nearly beat a bully senseless when his friend got made fun of. He’s a lot more bold than we usually give him credit for.

Probably the other way around. Only ameriKa, Liberia, and Myanmar not gone metric.

Linus, this is your chance to be good for something. Don’t blow it.

She is 1/2 correct.

If you’re a scientist or an engineer, then the metric system simplifies things considerably. If you’re not in a technical field, and just need measurements for everytday purposes, the metric system would still be fine, but the imperial system is not as hard or “illogical” as promoters of the metric system make it out to be.

Anyway, Sally, if America had gone over completely to the metric system (which is still not impossible), then the old 12 inch rulers would one day be valuable collectibles.

Oh, how wrong they were…

The Hubble telescope did have a lens error due to flaw in a machine that was used to insure accuracy during shaping of one of the lenses.

The flaw had nothing to do with metric versus imperial – the error occurred because a flake of paint had chipped off of part of the testing instrument.

It was repaired (1993 – 30 years ago) by astronauts, who installed a ‘corrective lens’ during a space walk (among other upgrades) . The repairs gave Hubble 20-20 vision.

That was the most daring of the many services done to the Hubble. The last one was done in 2009, and it is still sending valuable info to earth.

My ruler has metrics on one side and standard on the other, most of them are this way now.