The metric system is used by almost every country in the world, making it a universal language of measurement. The United States officially endorsed the metric system in 1975, but implementation has since been slow. Fully adopting the metric system would be a step towards greater global cooperation and understanding. Using the same system as most countries would simplify international trade and commerce and help American businesses compete more effectively in the global market.Converting to the metric system would eliminate the need for dual labeling and measurement systems, therefore improving competitiveness and reducing costs.

On September 23, 1999, communication with the Mars Climate Orbiter probe launched at Cape Canaveral in December of 1998 was lost when it came too close to the surface of Mars. An investigation discovered the failure to be caused by a mismatch between the metric units used by NASA and the spacecraft’s builder Lockheed Martin that used the non-metric system.

That miscalculation caused was a result of non-metric programming feeding into a metric NASA orbiter dropping it to where it could not safely operate. The mix up cost NASA nearly a billion dollars in overall expenses and the failure to establish a climate monitor on Mars.

The metric system is already widely used in scientific research, so adopting it would facilitate collaboration and communication among scientists. Talk about improving education; teaching the metric system would provide students with a more logical and consistent system, making math and science education more effective.

Using the same system as other countries would facilitate international collaborations in fields like space exploration, medicine, and climate research. The practical benefits include increased safety, environmental benefits and simplified everyday life. The metric system is more logical and consistent, reducing the risk of errors in fields like medicine, aviation, and construction.

Using the same system for all measurements would make everyday tasks, like cooking and building, easier and less confusing, while reducing waste and improving efficiency in industries like manufacturing and transportation.

The U.S. has made three attempts at going metric with the last effort under President Reagan coming close. Our military equipment (often with foreign parts) went metric and some gas stations had begun erecting pumps with liter volumes. But, going full scale metric which would save billions of dollars over time has escaped us. Track and field, swimming, cycling, soccer, tennis,weightlifting and other sporting events use the metric system, but the country as a whole just can’t seem to turn the corner on the change. Many Americans argue against metric due to conversion costs, so the U.S. public ultimately suffers with that failure, especially in education. Getting away from our outdated system of measurements and employing metrics is nearly as simple as 1.2.3. As things now stand the 2-liter bottle of soda is about all we understand along with the 100 meter dash. It’s almost like Fahrenheit vs Celsius, the two different temperature scales to measure temperature. Now, you might wonder why the US still uses Fahrenheit while most other countries use Celsius. The reasons are largely historical and cultural, but efforts are ongoing to adopt Celsius. The same holds true for metric vs the US customary system of measurement. The main reason for sticking to the old historical measurement system from the British Empire is cultural and lack of government support. If one asks how many feet is that?… How many yards?… How many inches? Most people will use a calculator or their cell phone, or a T-82 calculator they can give you the answer. However the foreign student using metric can give you the answer without a cell-phone. That shows how easy the metric system is and how difficult the Imperial system is. Not only is it quick and easy, it is cost saving. Students can learn the metric system in nearly half the time it takes to learn our established imperial system.

Annual savings due to the elimination of English measures from instruction ranging from $1.603 billion to $2.506 billion per year.

If our young generation finally learned the measurement system underlying physics and engineering, the U.S. might stand a chance of regaining our lead in these sciences in the next 30 to 40 years.