US package labelling may be catching up

Posted on 2014-07-24 by derekp

– but don’t hold your breath. One of our regular readers in the USA reports on the latest moves to permit metric-only labelling of packaging.

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Posted in Consumer affairs, Views from abroad | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

It’s official – the UK’s hybrid collection of measures is here to stay

Posted on 2014-07-10 by derekp

Recently, one of our readers wrote to his MP about the UK’s measurement muddle. He received a reply from the office of the Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts MP, who has responsibility for measurement standards in the UK. This reply confirms that the Government has no plan to reduce the current mixture of units in common use in the UK or to promote a single system of measurement for all purposes.

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Posted in Education, General | Tagged , , , , | 28 Comments

The 49th Parallel – still a line in the shifting sands?

Posted on 2014-07-06 by derekp

John Frewen-Lord, one of our regular contributors, has recently visited Canada and has sent Metric Views his observations on the current state of the metric changeover there. Comments on this article from readers who know Canada are particularly welcome.

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Posted in History, Views from abroad | Tagged , | 4 Comments

“No more imperial-only vehicle signs” says UKMA

Posted on 2014-06-14 by Erithacus

In its response to a Department for Transport consultation the UK Metric Association has recommended that the erection of new vehicle height, width and length restriction signs that display only feet and inches should no longer be permitted.  Continue reading →

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Posted in General, Road signs, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , | 15 Comments

From 1520 to 3 – metric still rules (mostly)

Posted on 2014-05-13 by derekp

A first for Metric Views – an article on model railways. John Frewen-Lord takes us to an area that many of us last visited in our childhood.

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Posted in General, Technical, Transport | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

One hundred years of metric rainfall measurement

Posted on 2014-04-25 by derekp

– not that the media have noticed.  John Frewen-Lord looks into this oversight, drawing our attention to a centenary that occurs on 1 May.

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Posted in General, History, Media, Science | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

‘Area 1520′ – not about aliens or UFOs

Posted on 2014-04-11 by derekp

With Easter approaching, thoughts turn to the holiday. One of our frequent contributors, John Frewen-Lord, has written an article about travel, or rather about a means of travel, which may help to get us in the mood, and which, moreover, deals with a topic not previously visited by Metric Views.

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Posted in General, History, Technical, Transport, Views from abroad, World Records | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Whither the National Curriculum?

Posted on 2014-04-04 by derekp

We take a look at some recent information about the National Curriculum as it relates to measures and measurement.

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Posted in Education | Tagged | 17 Comments

Are imperial units ‘British’?

Posted on 2014-03-29 by ronniec

Continuing with our series on myths, misinformation and fallacies, we look at the claim occasionally made by defenders of imperial units that they are British and that they should continue in use for this reason.

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Posted in Consumer affairs, Education, General, History, Myths | Tagged , , , , | 32 Comments

An old habit dies hard

Posted on 2014-03-16 by derekp

One of our regular contributors, John Frewen-Lord, observes that the beauty and value of the built-in simplicity and coherence of the metric system is not being learned by the UK population despite forty years of teaching.

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Posted in Consumer affairs, Education, General, Science, Technical | Tagged , , , | 56 Comments