US government was planning a switch to metric standards in the late 60's. The automotive and other industries blocked the move to as being too expensive and a serious detriment to their profits. Miles, yards, feet, inches, and what is 1/3 of 19/64th of an inch? And the imperial volume measurements, and... it's only occasionally caused some minor mishaps such as the conversion mistake that lost us an entire mars probe. When will the world catch up with us?! We are the beacon of something or other.