In Matt Groening’s The Simpsons, Grampa Simpson famously decries the metric system as being “the tool of the Devil”.
In Russell T Davies’ latest Doctor Who spin-off science-fiction mini-series, it seems the metric system is the tool of the Sea Devil too.
Continue reading “Is the metric system the tool of the (Sea) Devil?”
The new version of the Met Office’s weather forecasting website no longer has the option to show wind speeds in metric units. All wind speeds are now in mph-only. Previously, users could choose from a list of different units, including metres per second and km/h.
Continue reading “Met Office website drops metric wind speeds”
If, like me, you are a regular viewer and fan of QI, the BBC’s long-running “Quite Interesting” trivia game show, you are probably frustrated by the seemingly random choice of measurement units that the programme uses to convey the sizes of things. Viewers are expected to be familiar with a whole host of units that haven’t been taught in schools for more than 50 years.
Yet another argument in favour of switching to metric road speed limits has emerged since Wales switched the default speed limit in built-up areas from 30 mph to 20 mph two years ago.
There is a new board game, about measurement, called “How Many What?!”. Or rather it is about describing the size of things without the benefit of a universal measurement system.
The game’s blurb says, “Some people will use anything but the metric system to measure things! How Many What?! is the ridiculous party game of absurd comparisons.”
165 years ago, in his opening address at the London meeting of the International Statistical Congress, held on 16 July 1860, Prince Albert drew attention to the measurement muddle prevalent at the time, and was in no doubt that the muddle would have to go.
Words from his speech were included in the 1862 Report From The Select Committee On Weights And Measures, dated 15 July 1862.
Continue reading “Prince Albert and the measurement muddle in the 1860s”
As we once again enter the Celsiheit season, that uniquely British time of year, where temperatures become so warm that some assume that a switch to the larger numbers of the old Fahrenheit scale is required, the BBC has dashed any hope that 2025 might be the year when Fahrenheit is finally consigned to the history books of UK weather forecasting.
Continue reading “Are UK weather forecasts a form of gaslighting?”
Chris Eubank Jr. has reportedly been fined for being “0.05 lb overweight” at the weigh in for tonight’s middleweight boxing match with Conor Benn.
Continue reading “For Chris Eubank Jr, the cost of professional boxing not going metric is £375 000”
The Liberal Democrats have become the latest political party to join the populist “save the pint” bandwagon. However, on this occasion their action will not only preserve the use of the imperial pint as the only legal measurement unit for the dispensing of draught beer, but arguably it will also prevent government Ministers from allowing metric measures for draught beer in the future, even if only as an optional alternative to pints.
Continue reading “Lib Dems block ability of Minister to allow metric measures for draught beer”
In a follow up to an article last year, about the occasion in 1904 when Parliament came close to fully-adopting the metric system, we consider one of the possible consequences of this failure.
Metric Views 