Re: OT - Metrication



Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer ^W^W^W^W uk.media.radio.archers,
Julian Day said ...
> Imperial units grew up for various every day activities, and were only later
> brought together into a system. The units are such that 1, 2, 3, 4 etc of
> them make sense for the purpose they were originally intended for.
> (Measuring beer, making a cake etc). The metric scheme was worked out "top
> down". A metre was originally one 10 millionth of the distance from the pole
> to the equator. (Later arbitrarily fixed, since otherwise improved
> measurements of the earth would keep changing the size of it!) A gram is the
> weight of a cubic centimetre of water. They don't derive from everyday human
> activities, and it shows!
>
I've just been reading a recipe on the back of the porrige oats packet.
It said 125g or something, 225g of something else. I have two sets of
scales. The old balance ones that belonged to my gran and a set of cheapo
plastic ones. I only have a set of ounce weights for the balance [1], but
the others weigh in both units. I really CBA to worry whether I use 4 oz,
or 125g, it's easy enough to read the dial.

[1] I could buy a set of metric weights.
--
Fenny

Xander: We just saw the zebras mating. Thank you, very exciting.
Willow: It was like the heimlich... with stripes!
.



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