Bart Jan Kelter wrote:
> . Are there different feet in the UK, US and 'down under'? I know of two
> different gallons and three different miles, and in early days the Amsterdam
foot
> was different from the Rotterdam foot.
>
> Greetings,
> Bart Jan Kelter
>
Bart,
You raise a very important point. The relativity of measurement has long been
a
problem in inter-regional commerce. Living in Texas, I have long suffered with
the
non-interchangability of measurements here vs. the Chicago area where I am from
originally. In Texas, "Just around the corner" means a drive that may require
an
extra tank of gas. A "small farm" usually covers the surface area of
Liechtenstein, and the "little pickup truck" used to travel about said ranch
typically has the wheelbase and gross vehicle weight of a British Matilda tank.
Your basic concern is the conversion of "Standard" to Metric lengths. Remember
that many personal factors can cause your base length to change significantly.
Are
you "feeling on top of the world"? The gravitational attraction of the Earth is
less at higher altitudes, this could reverse the reduction of vertebral spaces
we
undergo while staying with our "feet planted firmly on the ground." Conversely,
you may have "the weight of the world on your shoulders", with the resultant
loss
of height being noticeable to the naked eye. The list goes on, so please try to
make sure all measurements are taken with these various factors accounted for
and
standardized if all possible before attempting any conversions.
I have a concern about the relativity of time measurement. Since I live in the
Southern U.S., will my build time be greater or lesser than the build time in
Kirbymoorside? The lethargy of time passage here is legendary, and during the
summer months an hour in the midday sun can last interminably. And what will
happen if I move my kit to the northeastern U.S. After all, who hasn't heard of
a
"New York minute"?
Relatively yours,
Steve Genotte
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