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Category Archives: Technical
The generation gap
In his recent article “Why I …”, Ronnie Cohen looked at the present to explain why he believes the UK should complete the transition to metric units. However, some of those who commented on his article also looked back. In … Continue reading
Posted in Education, General, History, Science, Technical
Tagged construction industry, Education, metric, metrication
2 Comments
Why I became involved with measurement matters
One of our readers has written to explain why he became interested in the campaign to complete Britain’s prolonged metric changeover.
Posted in Consumer affairs, Education, Health, Road signs, Science, Technical, Transport
Tagged activities, measurement, metrication
14 Comments
Pound-inch units finally give way to metric in space
It looks as if astronauts, cosmonauts, or yuhangyuan as we will soon learn to call them, will before long have to cope with only one measurement system in space as the US winds down its programme and China takes its … Continue reading
Eurocodes for structural design, and that decimal marker
Britain is currently adopting European codes for structural design and allowing British Standard codes to lapse. This raises the issue of the preferred decimal marker – should imperial or continental practice be followed?
Posted in Education, General, Technical, Views from abroad
Tagged decimal-marker, Eurocodes, style-guide, thousands-marker
10 Comments
An ‘el’ of a standard
The powers that be of the metric system are wrestling with the problem of defining the kilogram independently of an actual physical object (i.e. the very slowly degrading cylinder of platinum-iridium alloy kept at Sèvres, near Paris, known as “the … Continue reading
Snow calculations made simple, or not
One of our readers, John Frewen-Lord, has been housebound for four days by the recent heavy snow falls – about 60 cm deep in his area. This has prompted him to provide an illustration of the comparative simplicity of calculating … Continue reading
Parts of the knowledge economy hit the buffers in South America
It has been said that Britain is becoming a knowledge economy, and also that metal bashing can now be safely left to the low-wage economies of the Far East. If only it were that simple. Consider the railway industry …
Posted in General, History, Technical, Transport
Tagged knowledge-economy railway-industry high-speed-line, metrication
3 Comments
10-10-10. A reason for celebration
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.
Posted in Education, General, History, Technical, Views from abroad
Tagged decimal, mesures-usuelles, metric, rational-system, USA
24 Comments
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 … Continue reading
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.
Posted in Education, General, Technical, Views from abroad
Tagged exports, science-maths teaching, trade, UK USA metric USC imperial
19 Comments