Following the previous article about the limited impact of UKMA’s Metric Style Guide and the widespread mistakes in writing metric symbols, we look at one major source of these mistakes. Too many avoid the use of awkward characters that cannot be found on a standard keyboard and end up writing metric symbols incorrectly.
Continue reading “Too many take the easy way out when writing metric symbols”Category: Media
Metric Style Guide – has it had any effect?
Despite the best efforts of UKMA to promote correct usage, the writing of metric symbols leaves much to be desired. Former UKMA Chair Robin Paice reflects on the impact of the UKMA’s Metric Style Guide since its publication, evaluates other style guides, comments on the teaching of measurement units in schools and makes suggestions for UKMA’s committee to improve the situation.
Continue reading “Metric Style Guide – has it had any effect?”Who will fight the anti-metric newspapers for the cause of metrication?
One major obstacle to further metrication is that too many politicians are afraid to challenge the prejudices of the anti-metric newspapers. This was seen most recently when Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer suggested that the franchise should be extended to EU citizens living in the UK and to 16- and 17-year-olds and that the UK should develop a closer trading relationship with the EU in response to a threatened exodus of carmakers. After some negative front-page headlines in right-wing newspapers (which tend to be anti-metric) to his suggestions, he quickly backed down.
Continue reading “Who will fight the anti-metric newspapers for the cause of metrication?”Parallels with the Brexiteers – winning against the odds
During the Thatcher government of the 1980’s and the Major government of the 1990’s, the Eurosceptics were a fringe movement with few supporters. At the time, UK withdrawal from the EU was unthinkable and few called for the UK to withdraw from the EU, even among the Eurosceptics. Over the years, there were a number of trends that helped the Eurosceptics to gain public support for their cause and Euroscepticism grew in the media and in the Conservative Party. UKMA did not take sides in the Brexit referendum in mid-2016 and takes no position on Brexit or future UK-EU relations. Whatever one thinks of Brexit, the fact remains that the Brexiteers have won against all the odds. Brexit was achieved when the UK left the EU at 11pm GMT on Friday 31 January 2020. How did they achieve this against all the odds and what can UKMA learn from them?
Continue reading “Parallels with the Brexiteers – winning against the odds”Major commercial broadcasters use cm only for snowfall
A few days ago, weather forecasters were warning the public about a period of freezing weather and snow. Major British commercial broadcasters’ websites have expressed the levels of snowfall exclusively in centimetres. There has been no use of inches for snowfall in their online weather reports.
Continue reading “Major commercial broadcasters use cm only for snowfall”Imperial return is part of Brexit symbolism
The return of imperial units is part of a wider range of symbolic changes that are coming as a result of Brexit.
Continue reading “Imperial return is part of Brexit symbolism”Queen’s Jubilee celebrations to include return of imperial units?
Over the weekend, various news items announced (again) that it was the Government’s intention for us to return to the use of imperial units.
Continue reading “Queen’s Jubilee celebrations to include return of imperial units?”
Does the UK’s mixed use of metric and imperial give us a unique ‘superpower’?
When arguing against the completion of metrication, opponents sometimes claim that the UK’s current muddled use of metric units for some things, and imperial for others, gives us an advantage that should be envied when it comes to measurement, in that it somehow makes us ‘bilingual’ in both systems.
Continue reading “Does the UK’s mixed use of metric and imperial give us a unique ‘superpower’?”
Official BBC Measurement Policy
As we become used to metric measures for social distancing, Ronnie Cohen, one our frequent contributors, looks at the measurement policy of our national broadcaster. Apparently, it is the over 50’s who are responsible for the muddle.
Continue reading “Official BBC Measurement Policy”M-days in Australia
UKMA has recently acquired two pamphlets from the 1970s Australian metric conversion programme. One about the switchover to metric units for weather reports, and one about the switchover for motoring.
Metric Views 