The Daily Mail recently published an article on University of Helsinki research about the merits of body-based measurements. The article says that they are easily accessible, enable us to make approximate measurements and give us valuable insights into the history of measurement. However, body parts do not make good measuring devices because everyone is different and even tailors use tape measures. The historical use of body-based measurements led to the proliferation of different handspans, cubits, feet and inches. This caused problems for international trade and co-operation.
Continue reading “Limitations of body-based measurements”Pippa Musgrave’s messages to Boris Johnson are still relevant to the imperialists in power
Pippa Musgrave is a fully qualified Inspector of Weights and Measures, Food Standards Officer and Trading Standards Officer with over 20 years of experience. When Boris Johnson was prime minister, Pippa wrote some critical messages addressed to him on Twitter about his policy to reintroduce imperial units in the marketplace. Despite the fact that these messages were written in September 2021, they are still relevant to the imperialist politicians who want us to go back to imperial units.
Continue reading “Pippa Musgrave’s messages to Boris Johnson are still relevant to the imperialists in power”BIPM and OIML issued joint press release and Directors’ message to mark World Metrology Day
20 May 2023 was World Metrology Day, commemorating the anniversary of the signing of the Metre Convention in 1875. To mark the occasion, the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) and the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) issued a joint press release and Directors’ message.
Continue reading “BIPM and OIML issued joint press release and Directors’ message to mark World Metrology Day”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?”Why do highway authorities take so long to replace worn-out signs?
There are some worn-out signs that have been in place for months, possibly years, but await replacement. On 4 May 2023, I contacted my local council to ask them to replace a worn-out height sign with a new one. It has been worn out for at least two years but has still not been replaced. I know that it has been worn out for this long because I still have a picture of this worn-out sign that I took on 26 May 2021. Despite informing the local council highway authority that it needs replacement, it has still not been replaced.
Continue reading “Why do highway authorities take so long to replace worn-out signs?”PHSO whitewashes my BEIS complaint about imperial units consultation
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) has investigated my complaint against the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and told me that they found nothing wrong with their consultation document or survey. BEIS has been widely criticised for its biased consultation and limited options for respondents, but these flaws were ignored by PHSO.
Continue reading “PHSO whitewashes my BEIS complaint about imperial units consultation”Why count in tens rather than twelves?
Martin Vlietstra looks at our counting system and explains why we count in tens and not in twelves. Our counting system and the metric system are both decimal based (i.e. they use base 10). The entire metric system is based on tens and powers or ten, which fits in neatly with our counting system and makes calculations easy.
Continue reading “Why count in tens rather than twelves?”Beer glass sizes in Australia
Following the last article about the Australian system for beer glasses, we look at the Australian system for serving draught beer. In Australia, all beer glass sizes are defined in millilitres.
Continue reading “Beer glass sizes in Australia”Third of a pint, anyone?
Some goods must be sold in fixed sizes. These sizes are known as specified quantities. Draught beer and cider are the only products with specified quantities in non-metric units. If you want to order a glass of draught beer or cider, how many sizes up to (and including) one pint can a publican legally serve you? You will probably be surprised to hear the answer.
Continue reading “Third of a pint, anyone?”Ovo Energy’s units mix-up tripled couple’s energy bill
A couple were overcharged more than £10,000 on their energy bill over a period of six years when their energy supplier Ovo Energy mistook their metric readings as imperial. As a result of the mix-up between metric and imperial units, the couple were charged three times as much as they should have been charged for their energy.
Continue reading “Ovo Energy’s units mix-up tripled couple’s energy bill”
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