Measure twice, cut once
Number 11 in The Worst Jobs in Science is 'metric system advocate'. That sounds like a challenge.
It's not funny, though; it's slightly crap. Metrication was announced to Parliament in 1965. Four decades on and we still have A Very British Mess. [Disclosure: I helped develop that site.]
Who benefits from consumer confusion? Who benefits from innumerate schoolchildren? I blame this muddle of two systems for my inability to estimate heights and weights. Maybe it's a test of character.
There's the patriotic defence that British people are too stupid for metric, but I don't believe that. Ironically, most of the British Empire has abandoned imperial. The Americans are holding out, except that US pints and gallons are entirely different.
Make it easy on yourself. You have ten fingers, haven't you?
It's not funny, though; it's slightly crap. Metrication was announced to Parliament in 1965. Four decades on and we still have A Very British Mess. [Disclosure: I helped develop that site.]
Who benefits from consumer confusion? Who benefits from innumerate schoolchildren? I blame this muddle of two systems for my inability to estimate heights and weights. Maybe it's a test of character.
There's the patriotic defence that British people are too stupid for metric, but I don't believe that. Ironically, most of the British Empire has abandoned imperial. The Americans are holding out, except that US pints and gallons are entirely different.
Make it easy on yourself. You have ten fingers, haven't you?