The Metric System Is Here to Stay: Difference between revisions

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== Film ==
== Film ==
* Used as a joke in ''[[Zenon|Zenon: Girl Of The Twenty First Century]]''. Zenon is from a space station, but when she arrives on Earth, she explodes a test tube because she was thinking in Celsius when all the instructions were in Fahrenheit. [[Critical Research Failure|In a]] ''[[Critical Research Failure|science class]]''.
* Used as a joke in ''[[Zenon|Zenon: Girl Of The Twenty First Century]]''. Zenon is from a space station, but when she arrives on Earth, she explodes a test tube because she was thinking in Celsius when all the instructions were in Fahrenheit. [[Critical Research Failure|In a]] ''[[Critical Research Failure|science class]]''.
* ''[[Avatar (Film)|Avatar]]'', naturally. ("[[wikipedia:Klick|Klick]]" is military slang for kilometer, in case you were wondering.)
* ''[[Avatar (film)|Avatar]]'', naturally. ("[[wikipedia:Klick|Klick]]" is military slang for kilometer, in case you were wondering.)
** Also normal person slang in Canada.
** Also normal person slang in Canada.
* ''[[Star Wars]]'' (though "inch" does appear occasionally in the [[Expanded Universe]]).
* ''[[Star Wars]]'' (though "inch" does appear occasionally in the [[Expanded Universe]]).
** Technically, it's set in the distant past, but it is futuristic.
** Technically, it's set in the distant past, but it is futuristic.
* Like its [[Firefly (TV)|originating series]], ''[[Serenity (Film)|Serenity]]'' quietly averts this trope with a single line:
* Like its [[Firefly|originating series]], ''[[Serenity]]'' quietly averts this trope with a single line:
{{quote| '''Wash:''' Start with the part where Jayne gets knocked out by a 90-pound girl, 'cause I don't think that's ever gettin' old.}}
{{quote| '''Wash:''' Start with the part where Jayne gets knocked out by a 90-pound girl, 'cause I don't think that's ever gettin' old.}}


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** NASA ''did'' use imperial units on the Apollo missions, though. Speeds were in feet per second, and distances were in feet or nautical miles.
** NASA ''did'' use imperial units on the Apollo missions, though. Speeds were in feet per second, and distances were in feet or nautical miles.
*** Only on the displays. Internally, everything was stored and calculated with metric units, but the astronauts wanted altitudes and closing speeds displayed in American units.
*** Only on the displays. Internally, everything was stored and calculated with metric units, but the astronauts wanted altitudes and closing speeds displayed in American units.
* ''[[Honorverse (Literature)|Honorverse]]'' is thoroughly metric (even the [[Deep South]] of Grayson), to the point that Honor, while reading ''[[Oliver Twist]]'' in her spare time, wondered what those "inches" and "pounds" mean and how much would it be. [[Subverted Trope|Subverted]] when the Grayson pasttime of baseball is introduced in the books. Despite using metric for everything else, the Graysons stubbornly insist on using American measurements for baseball, because if they attempted to use metric, they'd either end up with crufty measurements (keeping the field the right dimensions) or end up with a field that was slightly off in distances. They refuse to update the game to include modern measurements because baseball is [[Serious Business]].
* ''[[Honor Harrington|Honorverse]]'' is thoroughly metric (even the [[Deep South]] of Grayson), to the point that Honor, while reading ''[[Oliver Twist]]'' in her spare time, wondered what those "inches" and "pounds" mean and how much would it be. [[Subverted Trope|Subverted]] when the Grayson pasttime of baseball is introduced in the books. Despite using metric for everything else, the Graysons stubbornly insist on using American measurements for baseball, because if they attempted to use metric, they'd either end up with crufty measurements (keeping the field the right dimensions) or end up with a field that was slightly off in distances. They refuse to update the game to include modern measurements because baseball is [[Serious Business]].
** But averted in Weber's [[Safehold]] Series. The people of Safehold use imperial units, which were deliberately imposed (along with roman numerals and certain religious proscriptions) early in the colonization project in order to hinder technological progress.
** But averted in Weber's [[Safehold]] Series. The people of Safehold use imperial units, which were deliberately imposed (along with roman numerals and certain religious proscriptions) early in the colonization project in order to hinder technological progress.
* [[David Drake]]'s ''[[RCN (Literature)|RCN]]'' has Cinnabar use the imperial system while their enemies the Alliance (''not'' [[The Alliance]]) use metric -- but [[Word of God|Drake]] says that's just [[Translation Convention]] because he believes that after more than a thousand years, humanity will have scrapped both systems in favor of something else.
* [[David Drake]]'s ''[[RCN]]'' has Cinnabar use the imperial system while their enemies the Alliance (''not'' [[The Alliance]]) use metric -- but [[Word of God|Drake]] says that's just [[Translation Convention]] because he believes that after more than a thousand years, humanity will have scrapped both systems in favor of something else.
* As seen in the page quote, in British speculative fiction using the metric system in the future is usually a hint of dystopia. Oddly this is a much more common use than in American fiction, perhaps because the metric system has never been (in parts) imposed by government in America.
* As seen in the page quote, in British speculative fiction using the metric system in the future is usually a hint of dystopia. Oddly this is a much more common use than in American fiction, perhaps because the metric system has never been (in parts) imposed by government in America.
* Thoroughly averted by [[Larry Niven]]. His [[Ring World]] (for example) is "six hundred million miles" in circumference.
* Thoroughly averted by [[Larry Niven]]. His [[Ring World]] (for example) is "six hundred million miles" in circumference.
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== Live Action TV ==
== Live Action TV ==
* ''[[Star Trek (Franchise)|Star Trek]]'' caused a scientific error due to this trope. During the production of the ''[[Star Trek the Next Generation (TV)|Star Trek the Next Generation]]'' episode "The Royale", they "converted" a temperature to Celsius (presumably to make it more "futurey") by simply swapping the unit names. The original temperature was -291° Fahrenheit (-179,4°C), but the lowest possible temperature (absolute zero) is -273.15 degrees Celsius... whoops.
* ''[[Star Trek]]'' caused a scientific error due to this trope. During the production of the ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation|Star Trek the Next Generation]]'' episode "The Royale", they "converted" a temperature to Celsius (presumably to make it more "futurey") by simply swapping the unit names. The original temperature was -291° Fahrenheit (-179,4°C), but the lowest possible temperature (absolute zero) is -273.15 degrees Celsius... whoops.
* ''[[Star Trek the Original Series (TV)|Star Trek the Original Series]]'' and its movies were known for using both the metric and imperial systems, sometimes in the same sentence, in a faintly baffling manner... [[Reality Is Unrealistic|much like the modern scientific community and US military]].
* ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek the Original Series]]'' and its movies were known for using both the metric and imperial systems, sometimes in the same sentence, in a faintly baffling manner... [[Reality Is Unrealistic|much like the modern scientific community and US military]].
** The novelisation for ''[[Star Trek IV the Voyage Home (Film)|Star Trek IV the Voyage Home]]'' featured Scotty having to mentally translate from metric to US customary when talking to the factory owner.
** The novelisation for ''[[Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home|Star Trek IV the Voyage Home]]'' featured Scotty having to mentally translate from metric to US customary when talking to the factory owner.
* On ''[[Babylon 5]]'', the eponymous station is consistently described as "five miles long". This is, however, the only measurement on the show that does not use the metric system.
* On ''[[Babylon 5]]'', the eponymous station is consistently described as "five miles long". This is, however, the only measurement on the show that does not use the metric system.
* ''[[Terra Nova (TV)|Terra Nova]]''. Justified in that there are people from several different countries in the settlement.
* ''[[Terra Nova]]''. Justified in that there are people from several different countries in the settlement.
* The ''[[Firefly (TV)|Firefly]]'' episode "War Stories" showcases Wash's [[Improbable Piloting Skills]], simultaneously averting this trope:
* The ''[[Firefly]]'' episode "War Stories" showcases Wash's [[Improbable Piloting Skills]], simultaneously averting this trope:
{{quote| '''Zoe:''' ''(referring to their attempt to dock at Niska's skyplex)'' It's like throwing a dart, Jayne, and trying to hit a bulls-eye 6,000 miles away.}}
{{quote| '''Zoe:''' ''(referring to their attempt to dock at Niska's skyplex)'' It's like throwing a dart, Jayne, and trying to hit a bulls-eye 6,000 miles away.}}


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** Also averted in ''[[Car Wars]]''. Miles, feet, and pounds abound in Autoduel America.
** Also averted in ''[[Car Wars]]''. Miles, feet, and pounds abound in Autoduel America.
* Older versions of ''[[Rune Quest]]'' used metric for measurements.
* Older versions of ''[[Rune Quest]]'' used metric for measurements.
* ''[[Shadowrun (Tabletop Game)|Shadowrun]]'' and ''[[Cyber Punk 2020]]'' both used metres for ranges and kilogrammes for encumberance purposes.
* ''[[Shadowrun]]'' and ''[[Cyber Punk 2020]]'' both used metres for ranges and kilogrammes for encumberance purposes.
* The 3rd edition rules for ''[[Star Wars]] d20'' used metres, when literally all other games based on the d20 system were based on the imperial system.
* The 3rd edition rules for ''[[Star Wars]] d20'' used metres, when literally all other games based on the d20 system were based on the imperial system.
* Like the rest of its [[Firefly|parent franchise]], the ''Serenity'' RPG averts the trope, and more overtly than its predecessors. Speed is given in feet and miles, and warheads are measured in pounds, to name a few examples.
* Like the rest of its [[Firefly|parent franchise]], the ''Serenity'' RPG averts the trope, and more overtly than its predecessors. Speed is given in feet and miles, and warheads are measured in pounds, to name a few examples.
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== Video Games ==
== Video Games ==
* ''[[F Zero]]'' measures ([[Up to Eleven|ridiculously high]]) speed in kilometers per hour.
* ''[[F-Zero]]'' measures ([[Up to Eleven|ridiculously high]]) speed in kilometers per hour.
* ''[[Halo]]''. Mostly brought up in its [[Expanded Universe]].
* ''[[Halo]]''. Mostly brought up in its [[Expanded Universe]].
** Whenever a waypoint was placed on your [[HUD]], it always measures distance in either metres or kilometres.<ref>Except, strangely enough, the PC version of ''Combat Evolved'', which uses feet and miles.</ref>
** Whenever a waypoint was placed on your [[HUD]], it always measures distance in either metres or kilometres.<ref>Except, strangely enough, the PC version of ''Combat Evolved'', which uses feet and miles.</ref>
* The ''[[X (Video Game)|X-Universe]]'' series measures almost everything in metric. The only aversion is in time, for which the game uses [[Proud Merchant Race|Teladi]]-derived [[Standard Time Units]] (and as of ''X3: Terran Conflict'', this has been scrapped for player convenience).
* The ''[[X (video game)|X-Universe]]'' series measures almost everything in metric. The only aversion is in time, for which the game uses [[Proud Merchant Race|Teladi]]-derived [[Standard Time Units]] (and as of ''X3: Terran Conflict'', this has been scrapped for player convenience).




== Webcomics ==
== Webcomics ==
* The (essentially) culturally American society shown in ''[[Schlock Mercenary (Webcomic)|Schlock Mercenary]]'' uses the metric system, even among civilians... but every now and then the (American) author forgets himself.
* The (essentially) culturally American society shown in ''[[Schlock Mercenary]]'' uses the metric system, even among civilians... but every now and then the (American) author forgets himself.
* ''[[Afterlife Blues (Webcomic)|Afterlife Blues]]''. "You didn't recognise the Hero of Athens when you were two meters away from her?"
* ''[[Afterlife Blues]]''. "You didn't recognise the Hero of Athens when you were two meters away from her?"
* ''[[Freefall (Webcomic)|Freefall]]'' often has the characters using metric units with the Imperial equivalents in footnotes.
* ''[[Freefall]]'' often has the characters using metric units with the Imperial equivalents in footnotes.
* ''[[Escape From Terra (Webcomic)|Escape From Terra]]'', in addition the Martian calendar and system of time measurement is decimalized (1 Martian day = 100 centimes).
* ''[[Escape from Terra]]'', in addition the Martian calendar and system of time measurement is decimalized (1 Martian day = 100 centimes).




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