NationStates Jolt Archive

Metric Time, what do you think? (http://zapatopi.net/metrictime.html)

"Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so." -Ford Prefect "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy"

are you nuts...... metric time indeed, as if fractions were'nt enough.... :confused:

I like the idea, but it's going to be nearly impossible to get people to start thinking in those terms. Think how hard it would be to get the U.S. to use metric measurements, and now picture this system on the entire world.

Though the 10-day week makes a lot more sense than this ludicrous seven-day week. With a 10-day week, and if we arranged the calendar better, we could shave a digit off all dates (using 3-digit dates instead of 4-digit dates.)

MY thought is that the metric system has lost its relevance

back when we h ad to figure everything up by hand, the metric system was a huge benefit

now that we have calculators and computers who cares if you have to use foot-pounds per acre???

i think everyone should go back to the english system or whatever other system they might have been using before they were forced to change

Metric time...while it would fit in with the metric system that we've all come to use, time and time zones have become so integral, and as it stands right now it works fine and it's easy to learn and use. While metric time would be interesting, I've gotta say stick with standard time for now.

And people say changing to the metric system for distance, weight, and volume measures would put a crimp in the side of the production companies. Imagine having to change every piece of precision technology in the world as well as all the machines that make them. Not my idea of a fun day at the office.

MY thought is that the metric system has lost its relevance

back when we h ad to figure everything up by hand, the metric system was a huge benefit

now that we have calculators and computers who cares if you have to use foot-pounds per acre???

i think everyone should go back to the english system or whatever other system they might have been using before they were forced to change
Better yet, We should all invent our own system. In fact, that's a great idea! Then I could ask the guy at the deli counter for three bleems of bologna. WHen he looks at me oddly, and after several failed attempts at explaining the bleem, I can sigh, pull out my handy pocket computer, and after a few moments of tapping keys, I can ask for .67 lbs of bologna.

:D

metric time! silly frenchmen! metric may work in measuring other things but do you really think everyone is going to replace their watches at the drop of a hat?

Actually, metric time is the base-60 time system. The 60 second minute, the 60 minute hour, the 24 hour day and so forth are officially recognized by the Systeme Internationale or Metric System.

I hate metric.

A good idea in theory, and certainly well thought-out, but it would be a living hell to implement.

I like the idea, but it's going to be nearly impossible to get people to start thinking in those terms. Think how hard it would be to get the U.S. to use metric measurements, and now picture this system on the entire world.

Though the 10-day week makes a lot more sense than this ludicrous seven-day week. With a 10-day week, and if we arranged the calendar better, we could shave a digit off all dates (using 3-digit dates instead of 4-digit dates.)
Ya, exactly

Actually a quite stupid idea when you take it to it's fullest conclusion - there are 365.3 days in a year - not divisible by 10.

THe current time system was devised by rounding it town to 360, which is easily divided by twelve. All time is them based on that numeric system - with the exception of the calendar - which was butchered by Roman politics.

Better yet, We should all invent our own system. In fact, that's a great idea! Then I could ask the guy at the deli counter for three bleems of bologna. WHen he looks at me oddly, and after several failed attempts at explaining the bleem, I can sigh, pull out my handy pocket computer, and after a few moments of tapping keys, I can ask for .67 lbs of bologna.

:D
EXACTLY, lunatic

with calculators we could go back to cubits, no problem

Metric Time, what do you think? (http://zapatopi.net/metrictime.html)

I like the idea! I always thought it'd be a good idea to change how many days are in a week. (But what becomes of weekends?)

MY thought is that the metric system has lost its relevance

back when we h ad to figure everything up by hand, the metric system was a huge benefit

now that we have calculators and computers who cares if you have to use foot-pounds per acre???

i think everyone should go back to the english system or whatever other system they might have been using before they were forced to change
I think they were all talking about metric time.
but now that you mentioned the entire metric system, I would like to add that in my opinion it has not really lost its relevance.
ever heard of a place called 'continental europe'?
from what i know there are a few freaks there who still like to use the metric system ;)

Abe Simpson: "The metric system is the tool of the devil! My car gets forty rods to the hogshead and that's the way I likes it."

Seriously, metric rocks but we should switch to Base 8 (http://www.ncsu.edu/felder-public/kenny/papers/bases.html) math.

Time works fine as it is. Besides, you could use metric time if you want to, calling a minute 6 decaseconds, and an hour 3.6 kiloseconds, but it seems pretty pointless.

Besides, the decimal system itself is primitive - it's based on the number of fingers and thumbs we have.

If you want to really confuse things, start a movement to have everyday arithmetic done in hexadecimal!

I like the idea! I always thought it'd be a good idea to change how many days are in a week. (But what becomes of weekends?)

Well, says MT...
"But, aren't you stealing my weekends?" If we were to only have two-day weekends in the ten-day week, then you would have less weekend days per year. But who's to say we can only have two-day weekends? I propose we have three-day weekends that will fall on Sevenday-Nineday. This will not only lengthen your weekend but also give you about five more weekend days a year. Enjoy!

Another proposal others have put forth is that people work five days then take five days off. This has two advantages: The obvious one is that you get a five day weekend (and lots more off time in total); the other one is that this would allow for there to be two shifts of workers, which would mean more employment.

Seriously, metric rocks but we should switch to Base 8 (http://www.ncsu.edu/felder-public/kenny/papers/bases.html) math.

Hmm...Hex is more space-efficient that octal (aka base 8), but then again, there would be a lot more times-tables to learn in hex.

It says nothing about years.
Will daylight Savings be abolished?

I still think the 24 hour system is better than the AM/PM system.

I still think the 24 hour system is better than the AM/PM system.

True, but how about having it so that 0.00 is at the average time people wake up in the morning or alternatively at sunrise.

It says nothing about years.
Will daylight Savings be abolished?

DST sucks anyway. Most of my state doesn't even recognise it. And yes, it does talk about years.

My suggestion: Have all the even numbered years start on Zeroday, and the odd numbered years start on Fiveday. Leap days do not fall on any day of the week -- they are completely outside the week. Thus, each year has 36 1/2 weeks, and are completely regular.

I still think the 24 hour system is better than the AM/PM system.
I agree wholeheartedly with you. My computer clock is set up for that system.

MY thought is that the metric system has lost its relevance

back when we h ad to figure everything up by hand, the metric system was a huge benefit

now that we have calculators and computers who cares if you have to use foot-pounds per acre???

i think everyone should go back to the english system or whatever other system they might have been using before they were forced to change

umm... yeah... except that the metric system is used in science like, everwhere... everything is set up to be used with metric units, until you get into astronomical units at any rate.

True, but how about having it so that 0.00 is at the average time people wake up in the morning or alternatively at sunrise.
Definitely not at sunrise. That changes every day. I would prefer to keep that at the middle of the night.

it does talk about years..
Maybe I should have done more than just skim. It didn't seem to stand out anywhere. I'll look closer when I've got the time.

Maybe I should have done more than just skim. It didn't seem to stand out anywhere. I'll look closer when I've got the time.
It was on another page other than the one linked. On the left hand column, one would have to click "Metric Week."

Not to be pernickety but (well, all the talk of hex and base 8 was fairly irrelevent too so...)

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=metric

Metric refers to any standard of measurement or things of or relating to distance. Not just the French-born system with the long name.

ogh. How can something so bad feel so good?