Monday 16 February 2009

Why use Metric system?

Two days ago, presenters of talksport radio (10:00-12:00) Mike Parry and Nigel Pearson (in for Andy Townsend) critised BBCSports TV for using kilogrammes for weights of rugby players instead of the british units i.e. stones, pounds (lb.), and ounce (oz.)

according to Parry, BBC defended itself by saying that it used kgs. because of its viewers abroad. But Parry argues that the 'Beeb' should care more for its domestic viewers because are the ones who pays for TV lincensing fee.

Empirial system is still in use in UK till now, and if you are in this country you should be able to convert their units into the metric ones! For example in football, commentators refer to players' heights in foot and inches (instead of metres and cm!) and yards instead of metres. In shops you see/read weights in pounds, volumes in pints (if you are lucky, kgs. or litres can be included in brackets). In roads and motorways distance and speed is shown in miles e.g. 50m. ahead this means 'miles' not 'metres'.

The easier way to avoid confusion, is to employ your basic maths knowledge instantly in order to get the exact picture or feeling of what is meant by these empirial units because not all of us are familiar with them!

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