For many in Britain, the metric system and decimal measures are the same. Sunday’s once-in-a-century date provides an opportunity to consider the link between the two.
Category: Views from abroad
URS buys Scott Wilson. So what?
The UK’s twelfth largest consultancy by turnover, Scott Wilson, has been bought by the US design firm URS for £218 million. URS is second in the ‘Engineering News Record’ list of top 500 design firms. Metric Views speculates that Scott Wilson’s metric know-how is crucial for URS in this acquisition.
Measuring, trading and manufacturing
Two questions from a reader have prompted thoughts about the impact on UK trade of the continued use of pound/inch units in the US, and about the future prospects for manufacturing industry. Continue reading “Measuring, trading and manufacturing”
Linked by a common system of measures
There is a widely held view in the UK that we share our measurement system with the USA. True – but not in the way many believe. Continue reading “Linked by a common system of measures”
How big is that oil spill?
A reader of Metric Views points out that confusion on the reporting of this disaster is not limited to the UK.
An improvement in the weather
A recent exchange of e-mails between Ezra, a reader of MetricViews in the USA, and Tony, in the UK, suggests that recent years have seen changes for the better in weather reporting in the both the UK and Canada. Do other readers of MetricViews share Tony’s viewpoint? Continue reading “An improvement in the weather”
Muddle in Myanmar too?
One of our readers in the US, Ezra Steinberg, provides this comment on the situation in Myanmar. Continue reading “Muddle in Myanmar too?”
Metrication progress in Malaysia
Metric use in Malaysia in 2010 may give a foretaste of the situation in the UK in 2020 …or 2030 …or 2040. Our correspondent reports on a recent visit.
The English language – not to be taken for granted
Martin Vlietstra suggests a possible threat to our prosperity resulting from our resistance to change.
Continue reading “The English language – not to be taken for granted”
‘User-Friendly’ metric
One of our readers, John Frewen-Lord, asks why popular resistance to the simplicity of metric measures is now limited to a few English-speaking countries. With change in the air, he makes a few suggestions to help the stalled metric changeovers. If you are a Metric ‘Purist’, turn away now…
Metric Views 