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Comment Not enough benefit given the cost of switching (Score 1) 2288

The reason to use the metric system is to make unit conversion easy. There are two contexts where this comes in handy: scientific research and money. And indeed, we do use the metric system in that context just like everyone else. We also use 5, 10, and 100-based denominations in our currency. However, there's no reason to do unit conversion at other times. Maybe this wasn't true in the 1970s when the UK switched, but these days, with embedded electronics installed in everything, all tricky arithmetic has been automated out of our day-to-day lives. (For example, this is why unit conversion is no longer important in navigation-- we have GPSs now.) Unlike a lot of people here, I don't reflexively see this as a bad thing. Now, take a moment and think about how much work it would be to switch an entire country over to the metric system, especially one the size of the US. Think about the expense involved in replacing all the relevant signage-- both public expense and private expense. Think about the expense (and possibly even loss of life) originating from the confusion (Oh hey, the speed limit is 100...) I don't think you can really justify that, just so you can figure out that if your house was a fishtank you'd need 6 million liters of water.
Science

Submission + - Taking showers 'can make you ill' (bbc.co.uk)

tugfoigel writes: Showering may be bad for your health, say US scientists, who have shown that dirty shower heads can deliver a face full of harmful bacteria.

Tests revealed nearly a third of devices harbour significant levels of a bug that causes lung disease.

Levels of Mycobacterium avium were 100 times higher than those found in typical household water supplies.

M. avium forms a biofilm that clings to the inside of the shower head, reports the National Academy of Science.

United Kingdom

Submission + - BBC To Add Copy Protection to HD Broadcasts (thinq.co.uk)

Stoobalou writes: UK broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has given the BBC a green light to cripple High-Definition broadcasts with copy protection.

The ruling will restrict access to broadcast Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) data to only those High Definition (HD) Digital Terrestrial (DTT) receivers which include content management technology.

The BBC argued that, without the restrictions, the ability of broadcasters on the Freeview HD platform to secure content from third-party rights holders on similar terms to those on other platforms would be reduced, limiting the range of broadcast content available.

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