On Friday 21 December 2001 22:32, H. Peter Anvin wrote:
> Followup to: <200112220152.fBM1qJSr022347@svr3.applink.net>
> By author: Timothy Covell <timothy.covell@ashavan.org>
> In newsgroup: linux.dev.kernel
>
> > No, the US never went metric. That's why $200M Mars probes crash on
> > entry due to some idiot using English units as opposed to the NASA
> > standard of Metrics. The funny thing is that Thomas Jefferson, an
> > American President, suggested the Metric system to the French while he
> > was ambassador there.
>
> Ewhat?!
>
> -hpa
I'm assuming that you're questioning Jefferson's role. Here are a couple of
quotations which show that Jefferson's idea predated the official
implemenation. I can do more digging if need be.
1791 - "Jefferson Report." Thomas Jefferson described England's weight and
measures standards to Congress "on the supposition that the present measures
are to be retained," and also outlined a decimal system of weights and
measures of Jefferson's conception.
And:
As the scientists were experimenting in their laboratories, practical
tradesmen were making themselves permanent standards. In 1793, during
Napoleon's time, the French government adopted a new system of standards
called the metric system, based on what they called the metre.
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