For special situations, such as nuclear medicine, it doesn't matter if you use metric units because only specialists would be using it -- it's like a technical language that computer geeks might use. But that ratified application is no excuse to force many, many millions of people to stop using the system that is familiar to them. Yet at one time that indeed was proposed; for a while speed limit signs were in both systems, supposedly the first steps of a change-over. Fortunately, sanity prevailed. Thanks, Joe ________________________________ From: Dave Gary <davegary@me.com> To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Saturday, December 8, 2012 11:14 PM Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Americanized System? Joe, If I was to dispense a dose of medronate (used for nuclear medicine skeletal scintigraphy) what would be the activity of the dose in “Americanized” units? The industry standard is mCi (millicuries). The adoption of weights and measures by a culture is a consequence of history. There is no system of “Americanized” units for radiation dose activity or units of radiation exposure. Similarly, our other measurement units are not ours either. They’re British. We borrow here and there and call it our own. We even confuse units within our “own” system…for example, pounds and slugs. It can be bewildering. That’s why I have the handy-dandy units-converting program on my iPod Touch. However, when I work strictly within the metric system I, rarely, need a program for conversions. That’s its appeal. Dave _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Send messages to the list to Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com The Utah-Astronomy mailing list is not affiliated with any astronomy club. To unsubscribe go to: http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Then enter your email address in the space provided and click on "Unsubscribe or edit options".