Dear Pat We are pretty much in agreement now - your comment
> In the light of our discussion above, it is interesting to conjecture that > the reason that the pound was altered might simply have > been more 'deliberate chicanery' in that the 'new' avoirdupois ounce (one > sixteenth of 453.592 37 grams = 28.350 grams) was about 2.75 grams or 9 % > smaller than the 'old' Troy ounce (in twelfths of a Troy pound > 31.103 5 grams). Is pretty much what I think - and pretty much what Conner wrote in 1987. In 2004 he has withdrawn this view for no good reason that I can find. Time presses so I will not take on the rest of the historical metrological detail here - but if you send me a full address (off list) I'll send on some relevant writings by mail in case they are of interest. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My key points in these mails are that there are matters to do with chicanery and authoritarianism behind most metrological change - and this includes the push to SI in some ways. Its not that the objectionable features are fundamentally about the figures (though selling petrol at the pump in litres rather than gallons sure hides how much the price is ramping up - just as using 100 pennies in place of 240 did in the UK about 20 years back concerning all goods) My fundamental point is that some of the 'propaganda' in pro SI circles seems to me to be a) dishonest about the nature of previous metrological systems and b) authoritarian in some of its dictats. Re b) 'dictats' - consider the push to use the letter 'g' as a 'symbol' for grams. g is a letter in the alphabet - as an english speaking user of the modern latin alphabet I think I am free to do with it as I will. And in some contexts that means I may well use it as an 'abbreviation' of grains, gallons or gravitational force. Folk who want a dedicated 'symbol' for grams really should go out and invent a new symbol of their own and not steal the pre-existing letter from everybody else. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the history of the SI system - the Arabs made lots of special official glass measuring cups around 800 AD for use in the retail trade. We have hundreds of broken ones - but only 6 intact ones. Their volumes are: 50cc, 60cc, 5.9cc, 3.0 cc, 24cc, 9.75cc. Interesting huh? Best Wishes rob (Robert Tye, York, UK)
