MYOG Technical Note – Catenary Curves

Well, I don't believe the diffrence between metric and english is all that great. After all, it is all the same thing we try to measure. For some things the english measuments are far superior. Halfs, quarters, thirds, sixths, are much easier to measure if they are in feet. I worked as a carpenter from the time I was about 10 till I was badly injured at age 33. It works. For scientific stuff, no. I like metric. It is easier and more accurate. An eighth of a meter will always be a clumsy measurement, though. Dealing with fractions is far easier. It depends on your usage.

Working with a string, it is easy to define fractions accuratly. Even splitting it into three strings and attaching it a stick makes a good balance. Measuring with the string again lets you define halfs, or quarters…all without knowing exactly what it is you are weighing or measuring. Each system has advantages. Nobody really knows how big a cibit was exactly. Nor was it really needed, it just needed to be self consistent.

Metric is more for standards. In later years working biology, chemistry and later computer science, standards were nice to have.