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David Cameron Says Brits Should Be Taught Imperial Measures

Posted by Soulskill on from the cripple-their-minds-while-they're-young dept.

00_NOP writes: Children in the U.K. have been taught in metric measures in school since (at least) 1972, but yesterday British Prime Minister David Cameron suggested that they should actually be taught in Imperial measures (which are still in use officially to measure road distances and speeds, but not really anywhere else). Is this because he hasn't a clue about science or because he is catering to a particular political base?

8 of 942 comments (clear)

  1. Reminiscing much? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    You're not an empire anymore, and going back to imperial measures won't make you one.

  2. As a Breton... by sound+vision · · Score: 4, Funny

    As a Breton I fully support the furthering of our national units to promote unity in these divisive times.

  3. Re:FP? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I'll predict you'll have utter chaos because the percentage of drivers who can figure out that 80km/h = 50mph is quite low, and the percentage of drivers who can do that calculation in their head without taking their hands off the steering wheel and their eyes off the road is tiny.

    Well the change it worked in Ireland. But, of course, they have an educated population there.

  4. Re:FP? by dosius · · Score: 2, Funny

    Canada was probably willing to do it just to be different from America.

    America wants to be different from the rest of the universe because they think they're special. Well, as I can prove, they're not special, they're special ed!

    --
    What you hear in the ear, preach from the rooftop Matthew 10.27b
  5. Well, speaking from the film noir seats, by jpellino · · Score: 1, Funny

    91.44 - 60.96 - 91.44 just doesn't have the same ring to it.

    --
    "Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
  6. Re:Feet and inches by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Intel is now producing chips on it's 5.51181102 × 10-7 inch fabs and that's the way it likes them - you couldn't accurately describe that with the overly complicated metric system and you know it.
    So please don't come here spouting off about how metric is better.

  7. Re:FP? by AlterEager · · Score: 3, Funny

    Math is Hard.....

    Yup, David Cameron is Barbie.

  8. There are two kinds of countries by n6kuy · · Score: 4, Funny

    1) Those that use the Metric System; and
    2) Those that have landed a man on the Moon.

    --
    If you disagree with me on social issues, then it's pretty clear that you are a narrow-minded bigot.