French scientists as far back as the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries questioned the hodgepodge of the many illogical and imprecise standards used for measurement. Thus, they began a crusade to make a comprehensive, logical, precise, and universal measurement system called Système Internationale d’Unités, or SI for short. The SI uses the metric system as its base. Since all the units are in multiples of ten, calculations are simplified. Today, all countries except the United States, Myanmar (formerly Burma), and Liberia use this system. However, some elements within American society do use SI—scientists, exporting and importing industries, and federal agencies.