I was able to hear the radio clip but could not connect to the server for the TV clip.
Did anyone else have better luck? Ezra -------------- Original message ---------------------- From: David King <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > The UKMA has issued a press release drafted by Pat Naughtin and > issued today. > > > > Metric system invented in England - new discovery. > > London, 12 July 2007. > > Recent historical research makes it clear that > not only was the metric system invented in England, but also the idea > behind the International System of Units (SI), that is now used all over > the world, came from the work of John Wilkins, the founder and first > secretary of the Royal Society. This discovery finally discredits the > arguments of last ditch defenders of "imperial" units that the metric > system is "foreign". > > John Wilkins published his description for a 'universal measure' in > 1668, more than 120 years before the metric system was adopted by France > in the 1790s. > > The research was conducted by Pat Naughtin, a metrication specialist > from Australia, who carried out his research at Wadham College in > Oxford, at Trinity College in Cambridge, and at the Royal Society in > London. > > Wilkins' system was complete in that it was based on decimal numbers > (10s, 100s, and 1000s) and its measurements were to be based on an > internationally agreed 'universal measure', which would become the basis > for other measures. > > Our modern measuring methods now use all of Wilkins' ideas: we use > prefixes to go from millimetres via metres to kilometres, we have a > universally agreed definition of a metre, and a litre of water has a > mass of a kilogram. > > Wilkins' 'universal measure' worked out to be: > "38 Rhineland inches, or (which is all one) 39 inches and a quarter > according to our London standard. "John Wilkins: An Essay towards a Real > Character and a Philosophical Language (London, 1668 May 13). > > Pat Naughtin says, 'In modern terms this is equivalent to 997 > millimetres or quite close to the modern metre'. > > Although Wilkins did not use the word 'metre', its use became common > after Tito Livio Burattini translated Wilkins 'universal measure' to its > Italian equivalent, 'metro catholico' and, it seems that this was later > translated, and shortened, to the French word, metre. > > Pat Naughtin will be in London to speak at the Annual Conference of the > United Kingdom Metric Association (UKMA) on Saturday 14 July. > > You can find details about Pat Naughtin from his web site at: > http://www.metricationmatters.com/ or > http://www.metricationmatters.com/pat_naughtin/ > > > > Pat Naughtin also appeared today on BBC News 24 and on BBC Radio 4, here in > the > UK, being interviewed about his discovery. > > There is a link at > http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/mainframe.shtml?http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/ra > dio4_aod.shtml?radio4/pm > > When the sound starts, forward to 22 mins 50 secs for the start of Pat > Naughtin's part. Ends at 27:00. > > > The TV news clip can be seen at > http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_5260000/newsid_5261200/5261222.stm?bw=bb > &mp=rm&news=1&ms3=4 > > be quick though, I am not sure how long these things stay available online. > > > David King > >
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AAAA Media release Wilkins.doc
Description: MS-Word document
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