Metric And Miserly

THANK YOU, KEN ALDER , for “The Mis-Measure of All Things” (Fall 2002). This is a town that makes millions of gears and chains for the front-wheel drives of cars around the world, mostly metric but a mixed bag. The worst thing about converting to metric was what happened when the wine and liquor industry shifted. The half-gallon became 1.75 liters, but the price stayed the same—for almost 8 percent less. Beer stayed with the old system, as did surveyors and real estate. Try selling an acre in square meters.