= a formula

[FK]

Feodor: maybe we should go back to versts. Then when someone reads Tolstoy, they will know what he's talking about.

A versta is almost exactly a km. But point well taken: cruft accumulated in culture should not stand in the way of progress.

[FK]

My foot is less than 11" (10 3/4" or so), but it is actually 30cm, or 3dm, or 300mm

OK, I give up. Which " are you talking about?

[Nic M.]

... almost exactly ...

My most beloved measure

[luigi]

OK, I give up. Which " are you talking about?

Ok, ok, ok....I just thought it would of been a funny post!!!!

[FK]

By the way, about millimeters being too precise... You want to be aware that using millimeters is also an acquired habit. Any language is.

Construction tolerances should be specified separately from units of measurement.

When we are taught drafting in Russian middle school, we are taught to pull all dimensions from a single reference plane rather than string them up. This prevents tolerances from accumulating into errors.

[Solomon]

Here's an interesting editorial on the construction industry in the US and its adoption of the metric system... It seems (understatement) that it's still fighting metric adoption, but the author feels it's eventually inevitable...

Solomon