Which Measurement System is better: Imperial or Metric?

Summary

Who Smarted? Podcast Summary

Episode: Which Measurement System is Better: Imperial or Metric?

Date: November 10, 2025
Host: Atomic Entertainment / Starglow Media
Format: Educational, humorous, and interactive discussion for kids and families

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Episode Overview

This lively episode explores the great debate between the metric and imperial measurement systems. Through playful banter, interactive trivia, and fun characters (Dr. Milligram and Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System), the show unpacks the origins, differences, and global usage of these two systems. The episode encourages listeners—nicknamed “smarty pants”—to join in with answers, think critically, and laugh along as they learn how humans across the world measure everything from footsteps to oceans.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introduction to Measurement Systems

• The host opens by prompting listeners to think about how they measure height (feet/meters, inches/centimeters) and points out these systems depend on where you live.
• Dr. Milligram (pro-metric) and Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System (pro-imperial), join as humorous characters representing each system.
• Notable Quote:
  • Host, [03:02]: “When someone asks how tall you are. What measurement system do you use? ... Your answer probably depends on where you live.”

2. The Two Measurement Systems: Imperial vs. Metric

• Metric System Sample Units: centimeter, meter, kilogram, liter, kilometer
• Imperial System Sample Units: inches, feet, pounds, ounces, cups, gallons, miles
• Listeners are encouraged to shout out examples, reinforcing understanding with interactivity.

How Each System Works

• Imperial: Derived from body parts and everyday objects (e.g., foot, cup, teaspoon); evolved over centuries from various cultures.
• Metric: Based on powers of 10, logical prefixes, and scientific definitions; designed for simplicity and universality.
• Memorable Quote:
  • Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System, [11:41]: “But people's feet come in different sizes.”
  • Dr. Milligram, [09:47]: “10 millimeters in a centimeter, 10 centimeters in a decimeter... Ten is the quintessential number for counting…”

3. Testing the Logic – Counting and Prefixes

• Imperial Conversions: 12 inches = 1 foot, 3 feet = 1 yard, 220 yards = 1 furlong, 8 furlongs = 1 mile
• Metric Conversions: All based on multiples of 10 (10 millimeters = 1 centimeter, etc.)
• Prefix Logic: Centi-, milli-, kilo- have clear values (centi = 1/100, kilo = 1,000).
• Language Roots: Prefixes come from Greek and Latin, adding meaning and simplicity.
• Notable Quote:
  • Dr. Milligram, [11:15]: “Meter and metric come from a Greek word, ‘metron,’ which means measure. It just all makes sense.”

4. Historical Context

• Imperial System: Rooted in the British Empire; standardized to “make sure a foot is the same size everywhere.”
• Metric System: Created by French scientists after the French Revolution to unify France, simplify commerce, and connect science and daily life.
• Notable Quotes:
  • Dr. Milligram, [15:46]: “They figured out the distance from the North Pole to the equator and then divided that into 10 million equal parts. Each one ... became a meter.”
  • Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System, [12:09]: “And my way of measuring goes way back too. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Chinese all used body parts to measure things.”

5. Why Do Different Countries Use Different Systems?

• Global Usage:
  • The metric system is used nearly everywhere except for three countries: USA, Liberia, and Myanmar.
  • Even the UK switched to metric in 1965, though it maintains some imperial usage in daily life.
• Why the US Sticks with Imperial:
  • Deep historical roots from the Industrial Revolution—machines, recipes, roads, and industries built on imperial units.
  • Switching would be expensive and time-consuming, as evidenced by Canada’s switch (took 15 years, cost over a billion dollars).
• Notable Quotes:
  • Host, [17:26]: “The American measurement system is slightly different than the British version, but for the most part, it’s still imperial.”
  • Dr. Milligram, [18:13]: “I know why. It’s expensive.”
  • Host, [18:19]: “That’s right, Doc. Expensive and time consuming ... it’s hard to get people to change.”

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• The Banter Over Feet

  • Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System, [04:49]: “You may both kiss mine (foot).”
  • Host, [04:45]: “No, nobody’s kissing your feet.”
  • Sets tone of humor while highlighting the whimsical origins of the imperial system.

• Metric Simplicity vs. Imperial Complexity

  • Dr. Milligram, [09:23]: “10. The answer is 10 … 10 of everything.”
  • Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System, [08:30]: “Stupendous. It just rolls off the tongue.”

• Silly Prefix Debates

  • Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System, [10:42]: “Centi, millicilo. Where do you get your silly little—what do you call them? Prefixes. Sounds like something that’s broken. You know, prefixed."

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Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | Description | |-----------|----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:02 | Introduction of Dr. Milligram | Metric system champion appears, sets up the debate | | 04:54 | Arrival of Miles, Emperor of Imperial System | Humorous intro, “kiss my foot” joke | | 06:16 | Measuring System Roll Call | Kids shout out metric and imperial units | | 07:30 | Imperial System Conversion Questions | Demonstrates confusion and complexity | | 09:13 | Metric System Conversion Questions | Demonstrates pattern and logic | | 11:04 | Language Roots of Metric Prefixes | Interactive trivia: What languages are metric prefixes from? | | 12:09 | Imperial System Origins | Explains history using body parts and Roman roots | | 13:13 | Standardization of Imperial System | British Empire’s role highlighted | | 15:46 | Creation of the Meter | Metric system’s scientific origin story | | 16:47 | Countries Still Using Imperial | Only 3 countries not officially metric | | 18:13 | Costs of Switching Systems | US metrication is expensive and slow |

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Tone & Style

• Humorous, playful, and interactive: Characters playfully bicker, poke fun at each other’s systems, and engage listeners with trivia and direct questions.
• Educational without being preachy: Facts are delivered via jokes, relatable analogies, and gentle debate.
• Encouraging curiosity: Kids are frequently addressed as “smarty pants,” urged to think along and join in with answers.
• Memorable Quotes in-Character: Each character’s unique style reinforces their system’s characteristics—Dr. Milligram is logical and precise, Miles is proud, boastful, and a bit silly.

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Summary Takeaways

• The metric system is logical, based on powers of 10, and used almost everywhere.
• The imperial system is historical, rooted in body parts and daily objects, and persists mainly in the US, Liberia, and Myanmar.
• Changing systems en masse is costly and difficult—culture and history play a big part in why we measure things the way we do.
• Both systems have their own history and logic, and learning about them is both practical and pretty funny!

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Why Listen?

Whether you’re a kid or an adult, this episode is as entertaining as it is informative. The animated debate between “Dr. Milligram” and “Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System” keeps the learning lighthearted, while smart trivia and real-world context equip listeners with lasting knowledge about why the world doesn't always measure up the same way.

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For more learning and laughs, listen to “Who Smarted?” and join the Smarty Pants fun!

Transcript

[Host]

Happy birthday to us. That's right. WhoSmarted turned five years old this month. How exciting. That's not all. WhoSmarted also reached 25 million downloads. And that's because of you, our Smarty Pants listeners. And to celebrate, we want to give you a gift. What is this gift you're wondering? I'm glad you asked. If you love WhoSmarted, I'm sure you've heard us mention our WhoSmarted plus subscription. You know, the one that gives you a brand new bonus episode every week, plus every episode of WhoSmarted. Trusty trivia and SmartYQ's ad free. Not to mention, subscribers directly support WhoSmarted. So we can keep making the show for many more years to come. And to show our appreciation to you, we're offering a 50% discount on our annual subscription. We've never done this before. Instead of $39.99 for a full year of smarting, you can subscribe to WhoSmarted plus for just 1998 a year. That's right. Who Smarted plus is half off? Quick quiz, smarty pants. Is 1998 a year the same as A, $1.67 a month, B, 38 cents a week, or C, a nickel a day? Did you say all of the above? You're right. Just think of all the time you'll save not listening to ads while enjoying subscriber only special episodes. That's got to be worth at least five cents a day, right? Of course, an offer this good can't last forever. So you must subscribe by November 15th to lock in your 50% off WhoSmarted plus subscription. Again, that's 50% off our WhoSmarted plus subscription, just $19.98 for the entire year by November 15th. To join the celebration, go to our website WhoSmarted.com and click Birthday Subscribe. This offer is only available directly through our [e-mail] don't worry. You can play your subscription, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast platform. But to get the special birthday price, you have to go to whosmarted.com and click Birthday subscribe in the top menu. But remember, you only have until November 15th, so sign [e-mail] today. And now it's time for who's Smarted? Hey, smartypants. Trusty narrator here with an important question. How tall are you? If you don't know, take a guess. Are you taller than a chair? How about a mailbox? Or an elephant? Okay, probably not an elephant. Now answer this. When someone asks how tall you are. What measurement system do you use? Do you answer in feet or meters? Do you say inches or centimeters? Your answer probably depends on where you live.

[Dr. Milligram]

And if you live on the planet Earth, you should be measuring your height with meters and centimeters.

[Host]

And you are?

[Dr. Milligram]

The name's Graham, Dr. Milligram. I represent the greatest measurement system in the world. The metric system.

[Host]

Um, you do realize that not everyone feels that way. In fact, some people prefer a different measurement system.

[Dr. Milligram]

I find that hard to believe. The metric system is used nearly everywhere.

[Host]

True, but nearly everywhere isn't everywhere. There are some places in the world that don't use the metric system. Hear ye, hear ye.

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

Announcing the arrival of His Imperial Highness. Ah, yes. What an honor it is for you to be in my presence. You may kiss my foot.

[Host]

Uh, no. And you are?

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

Why, I'm your ruler.

[Host]

You are certainly not my leader.

[Dr. Milligram]

Did someone say leader? Which, of course, is the best way to measure liquid.

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

My dear subjects, I said neither leader nor leader. What I said was, I am your ruler. As in that long wooden or plastic thing in your backpack that's exactly 1.

[Dr. Milligram]

Foot long, or 30 centimeters?

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

No, it's a foot. Speaking of, you may both kiss mine.

[Host]

No, nobody's kissing your feet.

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

Your loss.

[Host]

Wait a sec. Let me guess. You represent the other major system of measurement.

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

Yes. I am Miles, the king, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System.

[Dr. Milligram]

Whatever.

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

Bow before me.

[Host]

Nope, we're not bowing either. But since you're both here, we can try to figure out which system of measurement truly measures up by answering questions like how did we end up with meters, feet, quarts, and liters? What are the differences between the metric and imperial systems? And why does most of the world use one system while one very large country does not? It's time for another whiff of science and history on who's smarted.

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

Who'S smarted.

[Host]

Who'S smart?

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

Is it you? Is it me?

[Host]

Is it science or history? Listen up, everyone. We make smarting lots of fun.

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

On who's Smart and.

[Host]

Smartypants. As you just heard, there are two major types of measuring systems in the world. Do you remember what they are? Did you say the metric system? And the imperial system? Nice. And I'm willing to bet most of you smarty pants have heard and even used both of them. Go ahead and shout out a few measurements that are part of the metric system.

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

Hmm.

[Dr. Milligram]

You've got a pretty sharp group of listeners here.

[Host]

Oh, yeah, the smarty pants are no joke. I heard lots of great answers like centimeter, meter, kilogram, liter, and Kilometer. Nice. Now tell me this. What kinds of measurements are part of the Imperial System? Go ahead, shout them out.

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

Bravo, Bravo. My subjects truly understand the subject of measurements.

[Host]

I don't know if they're your subjects, but I did hear lots of good answers like inches, feet, pounds, ounces, cups, gallons and miles. Great job, smartypants.

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

My trustiest of narrators. I do believe my work here is done. These smarty pants obviously know the Imperial Way is superior. Must we even entertain the inferior metric system?

[Dr. Milligram]

Inferior? Are you out of your imperial mind? Your way makes no sense.

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

Oh, go run along now. Oops, I forgot. You can't run with no feet.

[Dr. Milligram]

Oh, so that's how you want to be. In that case, allow me to prove the Imperial System of measurements makes no sense. Smarty pants, see if you can answer any of these questions. Ready. In the Imperial System, how many quarter inches are in an inch? How many inches are in a foot, how many feet are in a yard, how many yards are in a furlong, and how many furlongs are in a mile?

[Host]

Smartypants, did you get all of that? Or any of that? Have you even heard of a furlong before?

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

Of course they have. It's ridiculously useful. Especially if you race horses.

[Host]

Right? Anyway, smarty pants, to answer these questions, there's 4.4quarter inches in an inch, 12 inches in a foot, 3ft in a yard, 220 yards in a furlong, and 8 furlongs in a mile.

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

Stupendous. It just rolls off the tongue.

[Dr. Milligram]

Stupendous? More like stup.

[Host]

No, no, we don't say that here.

[Dr. Milligram]

Sorry, but come on now, all I'm hearing are lots of unrelated numbers. 4, 12, 3, 228. Now let's look at the metric system, smartypants. See if you can answer these questions. How many millimeters are in a centimeter? How many centimeters are in a decimeter? How many decimeters are in a meter? How many meters are in a decameter? How many decameters are in a hectometer, and how many hectometers are in a kilometer?

[Host]

Uh, smartypens, did you get all that?

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

Way too many funny sounding names if you ask me. No one could possibly figure out the answers.

[Dr. Milligram]

10. The answer is 10.

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

Huh? 10 what?

[Dr. Milligram]

10 of everything. 10 millimeters in a centimeter, 10 centimeters in a decimeter. 10 decimeters in a meter, 10 meters in a decameter, 10 decameters in a hectameter, 10 hectometers in a kilometer. 10. 10.

[Host]

10.

[Dr. Milligram]

10 is the quintessential number for counting 10 fingers. 10 toes. Top 10 Family Friendly Dog breeds. It's only logical we have a measuring system based on the number 10. But wait, there's more. The metric system's prefixes. You know, the centi, milli and kilo parts all mean something. For example, kilo is a prefix meaning 1000. So a kilometer or kilometer is 1000 meters, while a kilogram is a thousand grams and a kiloliter is a thousand liters. You could figure out how big the measurement is simply by looking at the word. Do you have that with the imperial system? I think not.

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

Centi, millicilo. Where do you get your silly little. What do you call them? Prefixes. Sounds like something that's broken. You know, prefixed.

[Dr. Milligram]

Prefixes are not silly. They come from two ancient languages that have had a major impact on our world.

[Host]

Smartypants. Do you know what two ancient languages are used for? The metric system's measurements. Are they A, English and German, B, Arabic and Chinese, or C, Latin and Greek?

[Dr. Milligram]

The answer is C. And the words meter and metric come from a Greek word, metron, which means measure. It just all makes sense.

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

So what? My units come from real things in the real world. You know where a foot comes from?

[Host]

What do you think, smarty pants? Did you say a person's foot?

[Dr. Milligram]

But people's feet come in different sizes.

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

Sure, but you can still visualize the size of a foot. Same with some of my other measurements, like the cup and the teaspoon. They come from everyday things you can see and touch. The imperial system may sound fancy, but it was really made by the common folk of my empire, like our dear narrator.

[Host]

Gee, thanks.

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

And my way of measuring goes way back too. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Chinese all used body parts to measure things. And the Romans gave us the most common measurement of the imperial system, the foot. The inch also comes from the Romans. It's a Latin word meaning 1/12. So if you cut up a foot into 12 equal pieces, you have an inch. But please don't try that on a real foot.

[Host]

How?

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

My system wasn't designed like the metric system. It evolved from years and years of history and many different cultures. That's why it's so complex.

[Host]

And smarty pants, since imperial comes from empire, do you know what empire brought all these measurements together to create a standardized system so that a foot is the same size everywhere? Is it A, Spanish, B, British, or C, Finnish?

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

The answer is B. The British Empire, of course. One of the biggest empires in history. All hail King Charles.

[Dr. Milligram]

There's just one problem. Today. King Charles and the rest of the United Kingdom uses the metric system.

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

Wait, are you serious? They do?

[Dr. Milligram]

Yep.

[Host]

Aha. So why is that, Smartypants? Why does most of the world use the metric system? And why is one big country still sticking with imperial measurements? We'll find out the size of things after this quick break. Who Smarted? Is brought to you by Squarespace. Now, you know I'm good about creating new adventures and episodes of who Smarted, but you don't know that I procrastinate on other stuff, like a website for one of our new projects.

[Dr. Milligram]

Oops.

[Host]

When the website builder Squarespace reached out about sponsoring Whosmarted, I decided to test it out. And now I feel silly for putting off building that website. Squarespace's blueprint AI thing literally built me a custom website in minutes. I just told it a few details about the project, and boom, it generated everything. And everything. Everything you need is right there. I can schedule guest interviews, send email campaigns, even sell merch, all from one dashboard. Now it's your turn to stop procrastinating and start building. You can use Squarespace to launch that business site or any site that you've been dreaming about. But putting off today, there's no excuse anymore. Especially since you can head to squarespace.com smarted for a free trial. And when you're ready to launch, you can use code smarted to save 10% on your first purchase of a website or domain. That's squarespace.com smarted code smarted. Now back to who Smarted? So, Smartypants, we now know how the metric and imperial measurement systems differ. But do you know which country created the metric system? Is it A, France, B, Portugal, or C, the United States? The answer is the French. About 225 years ago, after the French Revolution, the government wanted to unify the country in all ways, including measurements. At the time, there were thousands of different measurement systems in France alone. So a group of French scientists came up with one basic measuring unit. The meter. But what exactly is a meter?

[Dr. Milligram]

Believe it or not, they figured out the distance from the North Pole to the equator and then divided that into 10 million equal parts. Each one of those parts became a meter.

[Host]

Whoa.

[Dr. Milligram]

Scientists then created a milliliter by measuring 1 cubic centimeter of water. And the weight of that amount of water became the gram.

[Host]

Fascinating.

[Dr. Milligram]

As you can tell, the metric system is logical and precise. And because of that, most countries around the world eventually adopted it. The United Kingdom even gave up its own imperial system in 1965 to go metric.

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

Gone, but not totally forgotten, Smarty.

[Host]

Pants. How many countries officially use a type of imperial measurement today? Is it 42, 16, or 3? The answer is 42. No, 3. The answer is 3.

[Dr. Milligram]

Pathetic.

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

Ah, but one of those three is a big, big country.

[Host]

That's true, smartypants. Do you know which big country still uses imperial measurements? Did you say the USA Today? Only the tiny African country, Liberia, the Asian country of Myanmar, which is a little smaller than Texas, and the United States are the only three countries that have not officially gone metric. Whoa. The American measurement system is slightly different than the British version, but for the most part, it's still imperial.

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

My wonderful American subjects, they still love.

[Dr. Milligram]

Me, But I don't get it. My way is so much more logical.

[Host]

Perhaps. But there's also some logic as to why the United States doesn't use the metric system. When the Industrial revolution happened in the 1800s, lots of factories were being built throughout the country. Workers everywhere were making things using the imperial system. As the US Grew, the imperial measurement system became part of the nuts and bolts of everyday American life. From groceries to highway distances to the actual nuts and bolts in appliances and carpentry, everything was measured with the imperial system. And as businesses in the US Became bigger, they fought against efforts to switch to metric. Smarty pants, any guess why?

[Dr. Milligram]

I know why. It's expensive.

[Host]

That's right, Doc. Expensive and time consuming. When neighboring Canada switched to metric in 1970, the process took 15 years and cost over a billion dollars. Who knows how much it would cost the USA to switch? Plus, it's hard to get people to change. Even though the United Kingdom officially switched to metric more than 50 years ago, British people continue using some imperial measurements like feet, pints and gallons. In other words, while most of the world rates the metric system 10 out of 10, some people still love every inch of imperial measurement.

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

Face it, I'll always be your ruler. Sure you don't want to kiss my feet?

[Host]

Positive. A triple shout out to Caleb, Elena and Ethan in Kissimmee, Florida. You told us you love who Smarted because it helps you learn about everything. And it's funny. Four exclamation points worth of funny. Thanks for being such amazing smartypants. You three this episode. Measurements was written by Dave Decimeter Beaudry and voiced by Sam inches in traitor tea 10 gallon garland, max kilometers Kamasky and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hectometer Hahn. Who's Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room studios. Our associate producer is Max Kamaski. The theme song is by Brian Square Foot Suarez with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis. Who's Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.

[Miles, Emperor of the Imperial Measurement System]

Who Smarted.