Another English/Metric "Spacecraft" Problem 748
SuperDry writes "There's been another spacecraft failure that's been attributed to an English/Metric units problem, this time at Tokyo Disneyland's Space Mountain. An axle broke on a "spacecraft" (a.k.a. roller coaster train) mid-ride, causing it to derail (nobody was hurt). The final investigation report has been released, and the root cause has been determined to be a part being the wrong size due to a conversion of the master plans in 1995 from English units to Metric units. In 2002, new axles were mistakenly ordered using the pre-1995 English specifications instead of the current Metric specifications. Apparently size does matter, even if it's only a 0.86mm difference."
Proble? (Score:5, Funny)
A what? (Score:1, Funny)
Disney (Score:5, Funny)
Who's at fault here, really? (Score:4, Funny)
Or the American designers who couldn't even do simple multiplication in order to convert from English to Metric?
Gotta ask... (Score:5, Funny)
I'm Canadian, so I have to assume that 'proble' is the... imperial spelling... of problem?
"I get five rods to the hog's head!"
See!! (Score:4, Funny)
Support the New World Order now!
Standard system (Score:1, Funny)
How many Rods to the Hogshead?... (Score:5, Funny)
Or if that info. isn't available, how many stone per fortnight this ride has in lifting capacity.
TDz.
Proving once again... (Score:3, Funny)
The horror (Score:4, Funny)
Re:How many Rods to the Hogshead?... (Score:5, Funny)
That depends if the ride is European or African.
Mod points (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Standard system (Score:2, Funny)
Just use google calc (Score:5, Funny)
HAHAHAH! No one uses hands anymore to measure distance! How ARCANE!
We use feet.
Re:English units? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:English/Metric (Score:2, Funny)
Also, since C is more difficult to remember (and use) than Visual Basic, I propose that C be outlawed once and for all.
Re:See!! (Score:3, Funny)
Kodos or Kang?
Re:0.86mm? That's a HUGE difference! (Score:5, Funny)
Lemmeee tell 'ya....
Here at Hyundai -
Our cars can take it!
Re:The source of the problem (Score:2, Funny)
Re:The US needs to catch up (Score:3, Funny)
So do we! When we say how many children the average family contains, it's always like 2.4, not "two and two fifths".
Re:Imperial, not English... (Score:5, Funny)
Personally I think 2.54cm is pretty arbitrary. Then again, cm are based on a fraction of a wavelength of a certain coloured light, which is, yet again, arbitrary.
The first attempts for standardising the inch were many hundreds of years ago, since it's so vital to have correct measurements for trade. Despite what most posts here seem to think, the Imperial Inch does not change every time the English monarch does.
Re:English units? (Score:5, Funny)
Your Geek Pass has been revoked. You have one hour to clear your desk and leave the building. Thank you for your co-operation.
Why Imperial (NOT english) Sucks. (Score:2, Funny)
* Government conspiracy
* Microsoft Windows
* Rap Music
* Hondas and their drivers
* Transistors
* Pokemon
* Jerry Springer
* Televangelism
* Toxic waste
* The Republicans
* The Democrats
* Defective and bogus hardware
* Wrenches that dont fit
* Starbucks coffee
* Communism
* Soccer
* The Dollar.
Re:Embarrassing (Score:2, Funny)
Yeah, thats apparently what the disney people thought too...
Re:English/Metric (Score:3, Funny)
Google knows all:
14.4375001 [google.com]
Re:Noticable difference ? (Score:3, Funny)
for those of you that can't see the light.... (Score:2, Funny)
1km = 1000 m
1kg = 1000 g
1 Ton = 1000 kg
1 liter (water) = 1kg
1 hectare = 10000 m2
1 km2 = 100 hectares
Do you see the similarity with our numeric system ?
You only see 1's and 0's.
Re:Imperial, not English... (Score:3, Funny)
(yeah, I meant imperial/metric measurements)
Re:The source of the problem (Score:2, Funny)
Re:for those of you that can't see the light.... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:The source of the problem (Score:5, Funny)
Mmm-hmm. So, clearly, defining length in terms of the feet of a 1200-year old dead Frankish king is a better choice?
Re:About time America left the stone age (Score:3, Funny)
-Rick
Beat the rush, switch to base 8 now!
Re:Who's at fault here, really? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Who's at fault here, really? (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Who's at fault here, really? (Score:2, Funny)
obligatory simpsons quote (Score:2, Funny)
Thats nothing! (Score:1, Funny)
Its a good measurement of how stupid the people who made the compromises were or how smart we have to be only to manage with the daily commute.
It's what I've been saying all along [humor] (Score:3, Funny)
These damned foreign countries. Don't you understand that the US run's the world. If the metric system were so great, wouldn't we be using it by now? Of course.
But we're not. Resistance is futile. You know why we don't use metric? Because it was invented by the French. Now, I love France -- cheese, Bordeaux wines, wonderful cusisine, art -- don't get me wrong. But the Froggies should stick to what they're good at and not try to mess with basic units of measurement. If your units were so great, why were you invaded by Germany twice in the last century? And who bailed you out? The Americans. And what units do we use? Not metric, mes amis, but good old SAE.
Convert to SAE. The lives of space probes, amusement park patrons, astronauts, and la France depend on it!