Comments on: No Olympic games without measurement http://www.metricviews.org.uk/2008/05/25/no-games-without-measurement/ Commentary on the measurement muddle in the UK Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:12:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: Richard Blundell http://www.metricviews.org.uk/2008/05/25/no-games-without-measurement/#comment-13005 Wed, 28 May 2008 16:40:20 +0000 http://www.metricviews.org.uk/2008/05/25/no-games-without-measurement/#comment-13005 With reference to the Olympics, do you think anyone in the British media will do the sensible thing and refer to the length of the marathon as 42.2 km? After all, we have 100 m, 200, 400, 800, 1500, 5000 and 10000 m; and then the marathon is 26 miles! You couldn't make it up if it weren't true. Try asking someone how much longer how many times longer the 400 m is than the 100 m, they'll say 4 (obviously); then ask how many times longer the marathon is than the 10000 m and see if anyone knows. With reference to the Olympics, do you think anyone in the British media will do the sensible thing and refer to the length of the marathon as 42.2 km? After all, we have 100 m, 200, 400, 800, 1500, 5000 and 10000 m; and then the marathon is 26 miles! You couldn’t make it up if it weren’t true.

Try asking someone how much longer how many times longer the 400 m is than the 100 m, they’ll say 4 (obviously); then ask how many times longer the marathon is than the 10000 m and see if anyone knows.

]]> by: Martin Vlietstra http://www.metricviews.org.uk/2008/05/25/no-games-without-measurement/#comment-12930 Mon, 26 May 2008 11:11:02 +0000 http://www.metricviews.org.uk/2008/05/25/no-games-without-measurement/#comment-12930 The NHS "invention" - the "unit" of alcohol is based in good science, the only problem being that the NHS is unwilling to publicise their "good science". While I do not expect the general public to neccessarily understand the definition (Most Britons are notoriously innumerate), the definition should be made more widely availalbe so that doctors and journalists in particular can educate their respective constituencies in an manner. I have no qualms about publicising the definition of a unit of alcohol, it is nothing more than 10 ml <em>[or one centilitre]</em> of pure alcohol. Thus a 25 ml tot of 40% spirits contains (0.4×25) ml of pure alcohol. This is equal to 10 ml of pure alcohol which is exactly one unit. The NHS “invention” - the “unit” of alcohol is based in good science, the only problem being that the NHS is unwilling to publicise their “good science”. While I do not expect the general public to neccessarily understand the definition (Most Britons are notoriously innumerate), the definition should be made more widely availalbe so that doctors and journalists in particular can educate their respective constituencies in an manner.

I have no qualms about publicising the definition of a unit of alcohol, it is nothing more than 10 ml [or one centilitre] of pure alcohol. Thus a 25 ml tot of 40% spirits contains (0.4×25) ml of pure alcohol. This is equal to 10 ml of pure alcohol which is exactly one unit.

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