NASA Will Go Metric On the Moon 695
An anonymous reader writes "Space.com is reporting that NASA has decided to use the metric system for its new lunar missions. NASA hopes that metrication will allow easier international participation and safer missions. The loss of the Mars Climate Orbiter was blamed on an error converting between English units and metric units. 'When we made the announcement at the meeting, the reps for the other space agencies all gave a little cheer,' said a NASA official."
Wait a minute..... (Score:5, Funny)
Abort Mission (Score:3, Funny)
and to think (Score:5, Funny)
And to think when we were learning the metric system in school, the teacher told us it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out.
I guess he was wrong.
Soo.. (Score:5, Funny)
So they're not going TO the moon.... (Score:3, Funny)
I have a bad feeling about this (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Yay!!! (Score:3, Funny)
So what's the rest of the US waiting for? (Score:2, Funny)
"NASA Will Go Metric On The Moon"? (Score:5, Funny)
or is it more like: "Dude, did you see that?! NASA totally went Metric on the Moon's ass!"
they've got a list, and they're working on it (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah, they started with the 2-liter bottles of soda about 20 years ago, so it looks like they're working their way down the list.
I wonder what comes next, after beverage containers, and interplanetary spacecraft.
Re:Wait a minute..... (Score:4, Funny)
Finally. (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Yay!!! (Score:5, Funny)
Distance to the shops in miles, distance to the sun in kilometers
I measure my weight in stones and pounds, but I cook in grams.
Size of my wang in feet (ok, ok inches) size of my windows in cm.
I'm not sure why Americans feel the need to stick to imperial, especially in light of computers. At least NASA has now seen the light.
Re:Yay!!! (Score:5, Funny)
I think the only car companies still making cars in America are the Japanese. :-D
Re:Yay!!! (Score:5, Funny)
Countries NOT using the metric system (Score:5, Funny)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Metric_system.
Careful when calculating cargo capacity... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Yay!!! (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Metric system is not just for scientific commun (Score:3, Funny)
1 yard = 100 Centiyards = 1000 Miliyards
1 pound = 1000 milipounds
you get the idea
you should hear my ideas on how we should change currency
Re:Yay!!! (Score:5, Funny)
They'd read the instructions, but when they tried to print them out the printer just sat there flashing "PC LOAD LETTER"...
Re:Obligatory Quote (Score:5, Funny)
But the Death Star would almost certainly use Imperial units, would it not?
Re:Yay!!! (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Yay!!! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Yay!!! (Score:2, Funny)
Thank You! (Score:5, Funny)
I've always heard people talking about "a metric buttload" or "a metric assload" of this, that or the other thing. I never knew how much they were talking about, and I've been too embarassed to ask. Thank you for clearing up the conversion factor between a metric and imperial ass load!
Re:Hopfuly this is a trend (Score:5, Funny)
That's 30.48 cm, correct?
Re:Good start (Score:2, Funny)
You're just looking at it the wrong way. Just round up to a liter!
Re:Yay!!! (Score:4, Funny)
[my emphasis]
How about a really fat John Deere tractor, with a gun?
Re:Yay!!! (Score:3, Funny)
It sounds bigger in metric!
Furlongs to the moon? (Score:3, Funny)
"Because the furlong was "one plough's furrow long" and a furrow was the length a plough team was to be driven without resting, the length of the furlong and the acre vary regionally, nominally due to differing soil types. In England the acre was 4,840 square yards, but in Scotland it was 6,150 square yards and in Ireland 7,840 square yards."
If we keep the imperial system i guess its important to ask what kind of soil the distance is supposed to be? Is it English soil when traveling to the moon? Is the ox well fed? Is it an experienced plough team leading the expedition? Maybe its raining that day and the soil becomes softer?
Come to think of it why should we ever abandon the imperial system!?!
Boo!!!! (Score:2, Funny)
My favorite Metric conversion story (Score:3, Funny)
Apparently the attempted conversion was disliked by a number of people. My favorite story was about the some of the old people. Somehow they got it into their heads that gasoline sold by the litre was inferior, quality wise, that if the same gasoline was sold by the (imperial) gallon. Yes, these poor individuals went around the country cautioning the masses against putting this 'litre of gasoline' in their cars!
Re:Yay!!! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Yay!!! (Score:3, Funny)
I'll raise my pint and toast to that!
Conversion units (Score:3, Funny)
Actually, it's pretty simple. In NASA units, to convert one inch to centimeters, multiply by $254 million.
Re:Yay!!! (Score:5, Funny)
Not so fast... that's only true if you're using the regular "Avoirdupois" [wikipedia.org] pounds. In the Troy [wikipedia.org] system, which is used for precious metals and gems, a pound is only 12 ounces!
I read a "brain teaser" once that asked: Which is heavier, a pound of gold or a pound of feathers? Of course, we've all heard a variation of this question (usually bricks and feathers), and know that the answer is that they weigh the same -- one pound. However, a pound of feathers weighs more than a pound of gold, because feathers are measured using the avoirdupois system (1 pound = about 453.59 g) while gold uses Troy (1 pound = about 373.24 g).
Re:1/6 (Score:3, Funny)
So that would make you, what, a community college drop out?
Re:Imperial Staying Power (Score:3, Funny)
Dude, your Imperial system goes to 11 ! Our decimal system only goes up to 10 :(
Re:Yay!!! (Score:4, Funny)
Inch by inch (Score:4, Funny)
NASA: We will do it inch by inch.
Re:Thank You! (Score:4, Funny)
Re:4chan (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Thank You! (Score:2, Funny)