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From the BWMA message board. It seems they found an
East European who has become a fan of FFU.
Note how he has followed the BWMA use of terms for the
metric system by calling metric "French". Also note the same tired old
BWMA rhetoric about the ease at measuring and computing in FFU compared to
metric. It is so obvious the blind can see it.
Euric
Dr Kovalchuk to Lord Howe, 9 July 2004
July 12 2004 at 8:45 PM |
Tony
Bennett
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I must say, I am eagerly anticipating Lord Howe's reply
to this letter, reproduced verbatim
below:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From:
"Dr Kovalchuk",
INTERNET: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To:
INTERNET:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: 09/07/2004 21:12 PM
RE:
"Metrication" Report (08 July 2004)
Dear Lord Howe,
I have
grown up in a fully "metric" country and had received a "metric" only
education there. I also have experience of scientific work in modern
Physics and Mathematics both in a university in a "metric" country and in
a British University. Yesterday I heard part of your report concerning
situation with metrication in this country and would like to share with
you my thoughts on this matter.
I fully agree with you that we have
to do something with the "mess" of "two confused, competing systems" of
weights and measures and I support your intention to end a "half-metric,
half-imperial muddle". Only I think that you have chosen a wrong way of
solving this problem.
In my opinion the experiment with introducing
French system of weight and measures into this country that has its own
Imperial system should be terminated as soon as possible.
I have
tried both systems and I find Imperial one far better than metric. For
many years I am trying hard to forget all metric rubbish that I
unfortunately was taught and to become an "Imperial" only. I hope in few
years I shall not tell the difference between a millimètre and a
kilogramme.
The only advantage of the metric system that I can see
is an easy dividing (or multiplication) by 10, 100, etc. But do we often
divide something into 10 equal parts?
If you know at least one
reasonable advantage of metric system over our traditional Imperial
system, please let me know.
May be you think that it would be
convenient to use only one system worldwide? (Then why not to be patriotic
and to promote Imperial one in other countries? I did.) As the matter of
fact it does not matter what system is used for measurements and
calculations - result will be the same. Each country may have its own
system of weights and measures as well as its own language. Let the
British speak English and use inches and ounces. In communications with
the French English text can be easily translated into French, and Imperial
units can
be converted into French one even easier. Similarly French
texts and units should be translated into English texts and Imperial
units. It is fair.
There is a big disadvantage of metric system
though. Most of users of metric system whom I knew in "metric" countries
and even more in the United Kingdom make common mistake in calculations by
placing decimal point in a wrong place.
This is due to the mess
with a number of prefixes (milli-, deci-, hecto-, kilo-, etc.) before the
same unit (litre, mètre, etc.) This cannot happen if Imperial units are
used. There are different units cleverly elaborated for different purposes
though they may be easily converted one into another.
Imperial
system has simple logical natural units (e.g. for measuring of the length
of things that can be held in a person's hands, inches are used and there
is no need in large figures to express such size - only one or two digits
with an optional fraction; for larger objects such as houses, boats,
another useful measure was developed during centuries - a foot; for
measuring short distances on land at which, for example, a person can
clearly see another person, yards are used; and for long walking, riding
or driving distances we use miles which are naturally evolved from
counting thousands of paces).
On the other hand metric system is
synthetic (it may only be naturally useful for measuring the Earth's
meridians: there is 10,000,000 mètres from a pole to the Equator, though
Nautical miles are more useful for this purpose: the same distance is
5,400 Nautical miles - one Nautical mile per each angular minute of a
meridian while expressed in mètres one minute is 1851.8519). And because
of its artificial nature, metric system is also not practical. E.g. a
hundredth of a mètre or centimètre (or 0.000000001 of a pole to Equator
distance, as it was designed) is too small unit for every day
use.
Inches are more practical. Mètres are also too big for such
things as home improvements. One mètre though is almost the same as a
yard. Why not use handy yards for short distances then? Both systems may
be successfully used for any measurements, only the Imperial one is more
handy.
In 19th century there was an attempt to create an artificial
international language Esperanto. It failed, though some enthusiasts still
learn it. I presume that artificial metric system of weights and measures
is doomed to the extinction as well. Only practical natural systems, such
as the British Imperial system, last for a long time (forever).
Imperial system of weights and measures is a pride of the British
Nation. Using of own units for centuries and I believe for many, many
years to come, is a sign of a nation with rich traditions, firmly
established trade and industry.
I hope you wish well to your
country and genuinely want that only that system from which Britain will
benefit most remained. You wrote "I felt ashamed at my role in allowing
the present shambles to develop". Please try to do what you can to correct
the situation. Proposed measures are:
(i) introducing the
compulsory use of Imperial system in trade, industry, and education,
(ii) in few years complete abolishing of metric system in the
United Kingdom,
(iii) promotion of Imperial system
worldwide.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Alexander Kovalchuk
Fraser
Noble Building,
King's College,
University of
Aberdeen,
ABERDEEN
Scotland
AB24
3UE
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