YES! I enjoyed reading the artice. Unfourtunately I am still trying to get my brain to think in complete metric and watching news programs and weather reports doesn't help. I can't wait until the EU bans all non-metric units in 2010!
METRIC ROCKS! -- -----Thanks!----- Cole Kingsbury [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----------------
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Imperial system is not for me
May 6 2004
I GREATLY enjoyed reading William Neil's humourous letter "A system built on the human form" putting the case for the imperial system of measurement.
It made a change from the usual anti-European argument and provided a splendid example of how numbers can be manipulated to support almost any cause.
Of course, many of the quoted "facts" that underpin Mr Neil's assertions are spurious, and can be argued against.
The idea that the average man is six feet tall may be valid from the late 20th century onwards, but was by no means correct in times past when this arcane number system so much beloved were evolving.
And how does Mr Neil get 12" from top of head to centre of chest?
Perhaps he is challenged in the neck department but makes up for length in his legs. Isn't 666 the mark of the devil!
Wait a moment, am I on to something here? Measure from the tip of his horns to the end of his beard, and I think you'll find it's a yard!
On a more serious note, it often puzzles me why any person under the age of, say, 40, would describe their height in feet and inches when they have not been taught the use of anything but metric measurement in school.
Perhaps parents have more influence than they like to think.
What's so much harder about saying: "I am 1.85 metres" than saying "I am six feet one inch"?
It's a question of getting used to it, that's all. Just as when the country implemented the decimal system for currency, it takes a while for us to become accustomed to the sound of it. But then it's done and we can all move on.
Mr Neil mentions the imperial ounce in passing, but I cannot imagine why anyone would want to have to remember there are 16 ounces in a pound, and 14 pounds in a stone etc etc.
At the end of the day, it's just so much easier to go metric than to try to remember all these tiresome units of measure. There's a whole world of things to discover out there. Life's too short!
One fact that seems to escape all the anti-metric campaigners is that even they were taught at school to count in units of 10. Remember units, tens, hundreds and thousands?
Our number system uses base 10.
Last time I looked, I had 10 fingers and 10 toes.
The sooner we get rid of the imperial system, the better!
One last point that shone out for me from William Neil's letter; no matter what number system we have, a good teacher will always make a lasting impression.
ALASTAIR MUIRHEAD
Morecambe Avenue
Caversham
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