Confusing mess of metric and English units

When I read the slate.com article “Sievert, Gray, Rem, and Rad” I felt that I had returned to my eighth grade science class. That’s the class that I recall making the distinction between English units and metric units. Even though the metric system is used in the sciences, apparently it is not used by all American scientists. Unfortunately, it has caused a few embarrassing moments, especially for the U.S. space program. I don’t completely understand why the United States doesn’t switch to the metric system. I do understand that it is a costly measure, and probably not the main concern when coming up with the federal budget. However, this will be an ongoing issue and will cause problems as long as we keep using the English system. It’s fine to keep the English system around. There are certain instances where it will still be useful, such as in cooking and sewing. Recipes and clothing patterns need to be maintained and remembered. But, using the metric system more in everyday life just might allow for better communication with the rest of the world.

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