On Jul 26, 2009, at 12:01 PM, Gerhard Fiedler wrote:

> Olin Lathrop wrote:
>
>> There is enough confusion in the world, and sloppiness with units
>> causes real harm.
>
> Besides that, there is a beauty in the use of correct units. There  
> is a
> lot of thought that went into the SI system, and using it properly,  
> you
> kind of get a free ride to enjoy the beauty of these thoughts.

It's interesting to read the historical context of what a meter,  
kilogram, etc is.  I wonder if such exacting scientific definitions  
exist for foot, pound, etc., other than the length from one's nose to  
the tip of the outstretched finger.  :-)

Adaption to the SI system apparently began as early as the 19th  
century.  While we Americans have finally caught on in the science and  
technical fields, the general populace has not.

Joe

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