I'm the guilty party, but I take exception to the assertion that science fiction writing in English normally uses SI units. I read a fair number of mostly US-based SF stories every month, and a disappointing number of them still use Imperial units, leaving me confused when the item under discussion comes in gallons. Are we talking Imperial gallons or US (wine) gallons? At least a litre/liter is the same size everywhere.
OTOH, it would make sense for a future empire on or derived from Earth to use SI so as to avoid conversion problems from one place to another. Such an Earth empire would not include the USA or Liberia, possibly Myanmar (Burma), at some far future date, assuming it's not centered in Beijing. In the USA, we will give up our yardsticks when the Government pries them from our cold, dead fingers. The UK's transition to SI has been nearly as dismal; 19 years later they still sell petrol by the Imperial gallon and have distance and speed limit signs in miles. I used to joke with my fellow expats that if their country ever decided to switch driving to the right-hand side of the road, they'll do it on alternate Tuesdays, on north-south routes only, for the first 20 years.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Imperialism and units of measurement
Date: 2009-11-26 02:12 am (UTC)I'm the guilty party, but I take exception to the assertion that science fiction writing in English normally uses SI units. I read a fair number of mostly US-based SF stories every month, and a disappointing number of them still use Imperial units, leaving me confused when the item under discussion comes in gallons. Are we talking Imperial gallons or US (wine) gallons? At least a litre/liter is the same size everywhere.
OTOH, it would make sense for a future empire on or derived from Earth to use SI so as to avoid conversion problems from one place to another. Such an Earth empire would not include the USA or Liberia, possibly Myanmar (Burma), at some far future date, assuming it's not centered in Beijing. In the USA, we will give up our yardsticks when the Government pries them from our cold, dead fingers. The UK's transition to SI has been nearly as dismal; 19 years later they still sell petrol by the Imperial gallon and have distance and speed limit signs in miles. I used to joke with my fellow expats that if their country ever decided to switch driving to the right-hand side of the road, they'll do it on alternate Tuesdays, on north-south routes only, for the first 20 years.