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76
Tuesday, February 12, 1974
7
By STEVEN W. LEWIS
Kansan Staff Reporter
Metrics Treading on a King's Foot
A thousand years have elapsed since King Edgar of England measured from the tip of his nose to the end of his outstretched hand to standardize the length of a yard.
He used his foot to standardize-you guessed it-a foot. The distance between the two feet is about 6 inches.
When one of Edgar's subjects needed the exact measure of a foot, but the king wasn't
THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE College
organization will meet at 7:30 tonight
in organization
THE KU CLUB CLUB will show a ski movie, *Attack*, at 7:30 tonight in the Pine Room of the Kansas Union. A ski repair clinic, *Skis* and Sports Shop, will follow the film.
KU RUGY CLUB practice will begin at 4 p.m. today on the field behind Oliver Hall,
A HILLEL DISCUSSION with Rabbi
Hillegroth
the Regional Room at the Kansai Union.
THE FILM FESTIVAL, the super eight film class, and the Festival of the Arts film workshop will be discussed at SUA's super eight program in the Oread Room of the Kansas University.
THE KU COMMISSION on the Status of Women Career Seminar will sponsor a discussion on two career marriages at 7:30 tonight in the Jaywalker room of the Kansas University and our couples will discuss combining marriage and separate careers successfully.
AS IMPRECISE AS KING Edgar's
were they, buy and demand for the
everyone in the world.
around, he would place 36 barleycorns end to end.
Among industrial nations today, the United States alone clings to the system of weights and measures that King Edgar helped establish.
All other industrial nations have adopted what is commonly called the metric system, which is more accurately called the International System of Units, or simply SI, based on the French "Systeme Internationale."
Government authorities have estimated the United States loses $10-25 billion annually in international trade because our system of exchange doesn't work as well. In the case of war,
SEVERAL BLLS before Congress would take the United States off the customary system and put us on the International System of Standards has endorsed such legislation.
If such a bill is passed, the United States would undergo a conversion period of about 10 years, during which time calories, quarts, pounds and acres would disappear into history books and joules, liters, gallons, square feet etc. structures would advance into common usage.
After the conversion, 10 gallons of gas will sell as 38 liters; 5 pounds of sugar will weigh 22 newtons and a 70 degree Fahrenheit day will be 21 degrees Celsius.
THE U.S. SCIENTIFIC community has already adopted SI units. The next step is to convince the American public to do likewise. According to Lelon R. Capps, professor of education, the public won't be convinced easily.
"This is one issue the young and old alike are in common agreement upon," Capps said.
Although conversion to the International System is a relatively simple process, he said, people will fight it. Future elementary teachers are required to take a course dealing with the new system, Capps said, and many students don't like it.
BEGINNING NEXT YEAR, Capps said, some publishers will pulish two editions of textbooks—one based on SI units and the other based on customary units.
TREDO'S
Every TUESDAY 5-11 p.m.
15% Off Total Bill
944 Mass.
He said he thought total conversion would take 8-10 years.
turns-an-inch to so-many-turns-a-cimeter. Pipe sizes, however, can remain the same, he said, but be referred to in SI terms.
John S. McNown, professor of civil engineering, said he wasn't optimistic about the public's acceptance of the changeover either. He said, however, the changeover was necessary to maintain our international markets.
University Daily Kansar
McNawn said he expected Congress to act on the International System within a year. Within two years, he said, changes will begin.
THE COST OF CONVERSION has been estimated at as much as $50 billion.
McNown said some of the cost would inevitably be passed to the consumer. The benefits of SI, he said, will be delayed by the necessity to use both systems during conversion.
McNown said conversion wouldn't necessarily require changes in all machines and products. He said milling machines would have to be changed from so-many-
"IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING, we're already using international units," McNown said. "We believe any engineering student now will need to understand SI units. I insist my students work one out of four four problems in international units."
McNown said the International System, which is based on the decimal system, could be manipulated more efficiently than the inch-pound system as soon as Americans became familiar with it. He said it meant that it had a vocabulary of 20 to 50 words.
Inconvenience and inflation aren't the only drawbacks to conversion, according to some experts.
Tuesday night is Talcat Night all this month
Critics say the cost of conversion will force many small companies to close. They also argue that once the United States has converted, imports will more readily flow into the country, which will result in fewer jobs.
Some have said the adoption of SI would mean another triumph of the multinational corporations over the welfare of the public. They argue that the United States got to be the No.1 economic power in the world on the inch-pound system and that no other system, including SI, is as exhaustively developed.
2515 W. 6th
Lawrence, Ks. 66044
(913) 841-2547
Pd. W. D.
JOURNALISM MAJORS
Make Your Vote Count
Student Senate Elections Feb. 13 & 14
WILL DICKINSON (Ind.)
F. A.C.E.S.
Senior Class Officers
Thane HODSON president
Mark McCAUGHEY vice-president
Kim
Pat
SOPTIC treasurer
HOTCHKISS
secretary
paid for by F.A.C.E.S.
"We're not sure that it is a serious problem," Ed Church, president of Lawrence Property Management, andajawhakers Towers, said yesterday.
Part of the middle section of the parking lot of Jayhawker Towers Apartments has shifted three to four inches creating a gap between the stairs and the leading to Jim Waldorf, resident manager.
Structural engineers and management will meet today to determine the extent of damage.
Shifting Closes Parking Area
The area has been evacuated as a safety precaution to prevent possible danger to people.
864-3477
The problem was discovered Friday by two University of Karasas engineering students who measured the shift before being to the management of the Iowers, Waldorf said.
IF YOUR FRIEND IS ALLERGIC TO FLOWERS OR TOO FAT FOR CANDY A KANSAN CLASSIFIED SURE IS DANDY!
Church said that until the full extent of the damage could be determined, corrective action couldn't be taken. The cause of the shift hasn't yet been found, he said.
This year the University Only $1.00 for 25 words.
Daily Kansan will have a Bring your special message to 111 Flint by
special Valentine classified section on 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, Feb.
Thursday, February 12 and your message will appear on
14th. Send a message to your special friend.
Valentine's Day.
SUA
If you want to volunteer to help others travel, please stop by. All our programs are planned by students.
Our students and staff are here to help you with your travel ideas—hopes—plans. Please check with us.
LET SOMEONE KNOW HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THEM.
(guides to inexpensive, U.S. accommodations—to foreign students/youth hostels—students charter flights within Europe/Ala/Asia/student travel).
(is it legal? a gimmick? how much really? who? where? doesn't one know your history? will I fly? ifly how many hours do I work in Paris? where will I live and whom is the real organizer? who's maken you work with the best idea? do pictures lie? what's CAB: T CGC-TR-ABC ATC?)
TACO GRANDE
•counsel on evaluating "offers"
(work abroad -live with a family-group travel-hitch-Railpass-
bike-host-study-disappear-play tourist-vagabond)
TACO FREE!
Good Every Day Except Wednesday
VAGABONDING abroad? at home?
9th and Indiana 1720 W. 23rd
Offer Expires Feb. 28
*how to prove who you are
Maybe we can help-
With This Coupon Buy 2 Tacos Get 1
1974-Year of the Taco
*what to do there
how to save
*how to prove who you are*
(passport—international student id—visas—hostel pass—international drivers license)
The University of Kansas Theatre
presents
THE PLAYBOY OF THE
WESTERN WORLD
by
J. M. Synge
the story of someone who becomes himself
presents
Feb. 13, 14, 15, 16, at 8:00 p.m.
Feb. 17, at 2:30 p.m.
KU Students admitted free with Certificate of Eligibility
University Theatre - Murphy Hall Ticket Reservations: Tele: 864-3982
This program partially funded by the Student Activity Fee