Tag Archives: decimal

Acres made easy

Posted on 2018-01-27 by Ramsden

We look ahead to the 400th anniversary of an innovation that simplified the measurement of land area, initially in England and later in the UK, by introducing decimals. Likes(19)Dislikes(44)

Posted in General, History, Technical | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

A Dickensian surprise

Posted on 2017-05-11 by Ramsden

Charles Dickens is enduringly popular for his memorable characters and his portrayal of the social evils of Victorian England. One of our regular readers, Martin Vlietstra, draws attention to an unexpected contribution he made to Britain’s long-running metrication debate. Likes(10)Dislikes(3)

Posted in Consumer affairs, General, History | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Why ten and not twelve?

Posted on 2016-10-10 by Ramsden

This is a question that often arises during discussions on the merits of the metric system. Martin Vlietstra, one of our regular readers, provides some thoughts on the matter, coincidentally on 10 October. Likes(8)Dislikes(13)

Posted in General, History, Science | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Whitworth’s forgotten legacy

Posted on 2015-03-13 by Ramsden

Whitworth is famous for the eponymous screw thread, and for his promotion of standard measures and interchangeability that brought about an engineering revolution. Less well known are his enthusiasm for decimal measurement and his opposition to the introduction of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, General, History, Science, Technical | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Launch of the decimal euro

Posted on 2014-01-03 by ronniec

Fifteen years ago, on 1 January 1999, the euro was introduced as an accounting currency. Notes and coins were introduced three years later. Whilst there are arguments for and against the euro, and UKMA takes no position on this issue, no one … Continue reading →

Posted in Consumer affairs, Education, General, History | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

10-10-10. A reason for celebration

Posted on 2010-10-06 by Ramsden

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. Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Posted in Education, General, History, Technical, Views from abroad | Tagged , , , , | 24 Comments