Those who are frustrated by the UK’s apparent reluctance to fully adopt the international system of measurement won’t be surprised to learn that this echoes events of 260 years ago, when Britain became one of the last countries in Western Europe to adopt the calendar we use today.
Continue reading “New Year’s Day, and Britain late for the celebration”
“Oh my goodness!” exclaimed Mrs Claus, as midnight approached on Christmas Eve. “I swear you put on more weight each year! You do give those reindeer a really hard time, you know.”
In its response to a recent BBC consultation the UK Metric Association (UKMA) has called on the BBC to live up to its declared mission and hence to support – and not to undermine – the exclusively metric National Measurement System.
Continue reading “BBC told to stop undermining the National Measurement System”
Both the Consumers’ Association (aka Which?) and the Government’s Business Department have claimed the credit for the success of their campaign to persuade supermarkets to price goods transparently. But who actually started the campaign? and is it enough?
Continue reading “Which? and Government claim credit for UKMA campaign”
Metric Views’ attention has been drawn to a Victorian piece of legislation under which signs may be authorised.
Continue reading “Salisbury points to a solution (and to a problem)”
In its White Paper today (26 November 2013) the Scottish Government has tried to reassure nervous sceptics with a list of things that they hope a future independent Scotland would keep. Widely reported have been the Queen, the pound sterling , membership of the EU, membership of NATO (all these subject to negotiation), free travel to the rest of the British Isles, the BBC, Royal Mail (albeit renationalised). But there is one item in the list that has not attracted much attention …
This was the heading of an article in the magazine “New Civil Engineer”, published on 14 November. Metric Views looks at the effect of removing optimism bias on the estimate of the cost of road traffic sign conversion prepared by the UK Department for Transport in 2005.
Continue reading “Scrap optimism bias say public sector clients”
MV looks at the global decline of “Anglo-Saxon measures”, from dominance in 1945 to insignificance today, and draws some conclusions.
This week, Metric Views takes a look at a recent awards ceremony in the construction industry.
A recent report published in the US suggests that the UK Government’s plans to boost science and engineering may be undermined by its muddled policies on measurement units.
Continue reading “Boost for science and engineering undermined?”
Metric Views 