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[RedWarrior0]

Because the Kilogram is defined by an actual physical weight that actually physically exists (the aptly named International Prototype of the Kilogram), and everything else is defined off that. Even US pounds.

[Urist Imiknorris]

The other is that the kilogram is the base unit of mass. Why keep the prefix? Why not rename the kilogram the gram, the gram the milligram, the milligram the microgram, and so on? Why do kilograms get to be special snowflakes and pretend they're not base units?

Because grams matter the most to poor people, and cookbooks.

And chemists.

[Bauglir]

Because the Kilogram is defined by an actual physical weight that actually physically exists (the aptly named International Prototype of the Kilogram), and everything else is defined off that. Even US pounds.

Yeah, but why not call that the gram?

In other news, it turns out the mysterious fellowship I mentioned in the terrified thread was actually a scholarship, and I managed to stumble into the only one on the list that's nomination-based instead of application-based. So now I have to write a thank you letter or something, once I figure out who the hell is responsible.

[WillowLuman]

In the depths of the deep-freeze, I have discovered a .5lbs peanut butter cup.

[RedWarrior0]

Because the Kilogram is defined by an actual physical weight that actually physically exists (the aptly named International Prototype of the Kilogram), and everything else is defined off that. Even US pounds.

Yeah, but why not call that the gram?

That was more in response to the kilogram not really being the base unit. It probably should be called the gram, or something without a prefix.

[Rolan7]

I got a frozen pizza yesterday and covered it in extra onions, spinach, and waaay too much seasoning powder (intended for frying fish or chicken).
My GI system hates my guts (hehe) today but I regret nothing, it was sooo good.

[Descan]

Yeah, there ARE things akin to the foot in metric (decimeters) but nobody uses them. It's not a failing of the system, just the use of the system is failing in that regard.

Even then, in Canada at least, we just use "a foot" to mean that kind of mid-range distance. Height and mid-range distances are pretty much the only times we use imperial, though. At least to my knowledge.

[hops]

In pathfinder one of our characters found the '+2 Vorpal Snakebane Shovel'.

Funny stuff.

That character better be as badass as Maddie Goodlaw from Rusty and Co. with it.

[ECrownofFire]

IIRC they are (did?) ditching the physical weight because it lost a small amount of mass every year and they're moving on to a specific... equation or something.

Nope, that's basically the only unit left that's defined by an actual physical object. Everything else is derived from various physical constants (a meter is defined as some fraction of a light-second, for example).

[Darvi]

IIRC they are (did?) ditching the physical weight because it lost a small amount of mass every year and they're moving on to a specific... equation or something.

Nope, that's basically the only unit left that's defined by an actual physical object. Everything else is derived from various physical constants (a meter is defined as some fraction of a light-second, for example).

Yes, and now they're trying to redefine it as the mass of a certain amount of silicon atoms.

[Itnetlolor]

IIRC they are (did?) ditching the physical weight because it lost a small amount of mass every year and they're moving on to a specific... equation or something.

Nope, that's basically the only unit left that's defined by an actual physical object. Everything else is derived from various physical constants (a meter is defined as some fraction of a light-second, for example).

Yes, and now they're trying to redefine it as the mass of a certain amount of silicon atoms.

I remember that. I was actually about to mention or link it myself. Basically, they take the smoothest ball of silicon ever produced, and measure the diameter of it, and use that to measure the sphere, and use that as the sole basis of the kilogram or something. So it's the kilogram to an atomic mass level.

EDIT:
Here we go. This was what I saw that explains it.

[Reelya]

Because the Kilogram is defined by an actual physical weight that actually physically exists (the aptly named International Prototype of the Kilogram), and everything else is defined off that. Even US pounds.

Yeah, but why not call that the gram?

The gram was defined as the mass of 1 cm^3 of pure water at the melting point of ice, sea level atmosphere pressure. The reference kilogram was created much later just for convenience: by having the reference weight have 1000 times the base unit, that increases accuracy by 3 decimal places.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centimetre%E2%80%93gram%E2%80%93second_system_of_units

But really, making the gram 1 kilogram would just means more annoyance in the other direction. We'd contantly be referring to how many miligrams we need of each food.

[Darvi]

Also the megagram already has a prefix-independent name, so we'd lose this nice range of 10^-3 to 10³ that we've got.

[IronTomato]

Drove on the road for the first time today.

I feel free

free liek bird

[Spehss _]

Drove on the road for the first time today.

I feel free

free liek bird

How many trees, poles, and pedestrians did you hit? Did you get any combos?