h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Perhaps you'll satisfy my curiosity regarding something I've been puzzling over? It came up again today in the link you provided in the Celebrating Risk Takers thread. Units used in the item were English. Somehow, I'd thought that the UK had switched over to metric. Am I mistaken? Or is it simply a case of dithering between the two? Obviously, the metric system is more rational, but not necessarily easy to implement in nations accustomed to other systems. The US made a feeble attempt to switch many years back, but the attempt failed miserably. Scientists, of course, primarily use metric units, but society at large in the US seems totally wedded to the more familiar English system, with the odd exception or two such as being able to purchase our drinks (both soft and hard) in litre (or fractions thereof) bottles.

We still use mph for our road speeds and speed limits, also for distances. Virtually everything else, save for drinks bought over the bar, is metric. Good bloody riddance to the Imperial system: you can tell that William Hague had never had more than an elementary science education when he suggested bringing it back into schools if the Tories got into power. What next after that: the phlogiston theory?

Thank you for the info. Seems like an odd melange to retain miles for distance, speed, etc., while going metric otherwise, but whatever. Still far better than we've managed here.

I don't like the French very much, least of all their insistence that they obdurately remain the centre of the Universe and that their priortities should become ours. Still, if there is one act of theirs fow which I will for evermore be grateful, it is the invention of the Système International d'Unités.