The British retreat on metrication from the early 1980’s, starting with the abolition of the Metrication Board, is a symptom of British exceptionalism. Ronnie Cohen looks at this issue, or should we say problem?
Continue reading “Imperial dimensions of British exceptionalism”Tag: imperial
Stuck in an imperial past
Ronnie Cohen wonders if nostalgia for Britain’s imperial past is damaging its future.
Continue reading “Stuck in an imperial past”Unfamiliar US weights and measures
Defenders of the imperial system occasionally cite Americans’ continued use of non-metric measurements to justify Britain’s dual system. Ronnie Cohen is not convinced.
Continue reading “Unfamiliar US weights and measures”An unnatural foot
Ronnie Cohen looks at the tenuous link between the imperial foot and human feet.
Leading us to the 18th century
Martin Vlietstra, one of our regular contributors, offers his thoughts on an early pronouncement by the newly-appointed Leader of the House of Commons.
Hybrids, old and new
We have come across two examples of hybrid measures, and speculate if these might help in those countries struggling with the transition from old to new measures.
Think metric – don’t convert
The editor remembers this slogan from his time in the UK construction industry in the early 1970’s. Almost half a century later, Ronnie Cohen gives real-world examples of metric quantities that may help those who are not as familiar with metric units as they might wish.
Imperial echoes in GBBO
A headline in The Independent caused us cause for concern, if only briefly.
Isolationist or Imperialist?
On the eve of a showdown Cabinet meeting on Brexit, one of our frequent contributors, Ronnie Cohen, asks if British attitudes both to the EU and to this country’s metric changeover are part of the same mindset.
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A wrong turning that led British Leyland to a dead end
We reprint an article that was first published ten years ago and illustrates the risks of using a mix of metric and Imperial measures.
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Metric Views 