Quote:
Originally Posted by jbjb
Celsius - yes!
Metric system for science and engineering - most definitely yes!
Everyday life - it's a mix - here in the UK most things are metric, but distances are still in miles, (car) speeds in miles per hour and fuel consumption in miles per gallon. Beer is still (thank goodness*) sold in pints in pubs.
* A pint is the right amount for beer - don't ask me why, it just is.
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The last point is an advantage of the U. S. Customary System (USCS): The measurement are based on what people actually use. In fact, I would not be surprised if they eventually come up with two new measures: The can (12 oz) and the bottle (20 oz).
Also, the odd conversion factors are due to making the measures work together. All of the measures in the USCS were not intended to work together, each one was a standalone. You chose a measure and then use it. In fact, trying to get the measures to work together is the reason that the mile is 5,280 feet (it was originally 1,000 paces/5,000 feet but was adjusted to make it equal to 8 furlongs).
To me, when it comes to temperature Celsius and Fahrenheit are both equally usable. Unlike with Metric Measures and USCS measures there's no conversion issues within the measure. It is just a case of what people are used to.