In a message dated 1/13/2011 5:52:48 PM Eastern Standard Time,
duffy@buphy.bu.edu writes:
Having grown up in Canada, I remember the Gimli Glider incident -
tremendous piloting, to be sure. I am so fond of that story and the Mars Climate
Orbiter story that I reference them both in an intro. physics book I wrote
(but that's a whole other story).
The Gimli Glider happened during the time Canada was switching from
English units to the metric system - that was a huge factor in not filling the
plane with enough fuel.
So, do you think the US will ever give up the English system of units? How
many other countries, if any, are also still using the English system?
Converting the country to the metric system could be an economic stimulus
package all by itself, don't you think? All those new road signs, etc. etc....
Anyone know John Boehner well enough to propose the idea?
- Andrew Duffy
Department of Physics
Boston University
Anyone who knows Boehner knows they would have more luck proposing cubits
rather than meters.