What Three Words - For the dinosaurs here :)

[Machpoint005]

22 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

 

I was educated using imperial measurement , (and £sd).

The 'numbers' and their 'multiplyers' are as natural as breathing.

 

15th Feb 1971 was a dark, dark, day for the UK

 

That was the date the currency was decimalised. Metrication had begun long before that, largely as a result of industry pressure. The Metrication Board first met in 1969 but the framework existed long before that.

 

Metrication Board wiki

 

I started my secondary education in 1965 and by 1966 we were being taught entirely in the metric system. Physics and applied mathematical calculations are difficult enough without having to use incoherent units.

 

 

[IanD]

1 minute ago, Machpoint005 said:

 

That was the date the currency was decimalised. Metrication had begun long before that, largely as a result of industry pressure. The Metrication Board first met in 1969 but the framework existed long before that.

 

Metrication Board wiki

 

I started my secondary education in 1965 and by 1966 we were being taught entirely in the metric system. Physics and applied mathematical calculations are difficult enough without having to use incoherent units.

 

Don't forget what the title of the thread is... 😉

[Machpoint005]

1 minute ago, IanD said:

Don't forget what the title of the thread is... 😉

 

I reckon that makes me far less reptilian.

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, Machpoint005 said:

 

That was the date the currency was decimalised. Metrication had begun long before that, largely as a result of industry pressure. The Metrication Board first met in 1969 but the framework existed long before that.

 

Metrication Board wiki

 

I started my secondary education in 1965 and by 1966 we were being taught entirely in the metric system. Physics and applied mathematical calculations are difficult enough without having to use incoherent units.

 

 

 

 

I predated you by a couple of years - we used imperial ,measurements, (even log tables and slide rules right up to A-level). Even when  they became more common 'electronic calculators' were banned.

 

 

[magnetman]

My secondary school yars were 1987 to 1994 (left half way through A levels). I did learn the slide rule and imperial units. Not a lot of metric there although we were also taught all the conversion units. Old school math teacher with a brain the size of a continent but no social skills. 

 

 

[ditchcrawler]

4 hours ago, magnetman said:

 

There may be nothing at all for example when one falls into a manhole and ends up 16 feet below ground level   

 

 

I know the answer to that, I have seen it on the telly, A Tesco trolley goes and gets help

 

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

11 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

I predated you by a couple of years - we used imperial ,measurements, (even log tables and slide rules right up to A-level). Even when  they became more common 'electronic calculators' were banned.

 

 

Log tables were used right up in to the 80’s. 
I’m sure I was given one in the mid 80’s when I did me maths exam. 
Not that I opened it

Went sleep instead. 
3hr exams !! Ffs. 

[Jerra]

7 hours ago, IanD said:

How long ago was that, and is this still the case? AFAIK the 999 emergency services do use W3W...

My wife needed to call an ambulance 12 months ago and they needed a postcode.

7 hours ago, IanD said:

If you have the app on your phone it will tell you exactly where you are. Right now it thinks I'm in my front room at home, and it's right... 😉

Your phone must be more accurate than mine it tells me I am currently next door and the accuracy is 16m.

5 hours ago, Iain_S said:

Doesn't always work

The local mountain rescue team had a situation where they were sent up the valley when the casualty was just outside town.  Having said that surely you check where the map/satellite shows you to be before you send the message.

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, Jerra said:

My wife needed to call an ambulance 12 months ago and they needed a postcode.

Your phone must be more accurate than mine it tells me I am currently next door and the accuracy is 16m.

 

Phone GPS accuracy can vary but will be better if it is connected to wi-fi.

 

Mine is currently showing us as being on the neighbours pitch but it's not currently connected to wi-fi.

 

When at home its usually bang on.

 

 

Edited April 26, 2023 by M_JG

[Alway Swilby]

5 minutes ago, M_JG said:

 

Phone GPS accuracy can vary but will be better if it is connected to wi-fi.

 

Mine is currently showing us as being on the neighbours pitch but it's not currently connected to wi-fi.

 

When at home its usually bang on.

 

 

The system of determining a phones location from the location of the wifi falls to pieces when the wifi router moves, like it does on a boat. 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Alway Swilby said:

The system of determining a phones location from the location of the wifi falls to pieces when the wifi router moves, like it does on a boat. 

 

Indeed, it moves in a caravan too.

[tree monkey]

24 minutes ago, Goliath said:

Log tables were used right up in to the 80’s. 
I’m sure I was given one in the mid 80’s when I did me maths exam. 
Not that I opened it

Went sleep instead. 
3hr exams !! Ffs. 

We used log tables and had an introduction to slide rules, this was in the early 80s, I'm not sure why though, what I do know is I didn't have a clue what or why we were shown the things and I'm fairly sure it put me right off the subject.

 

Exams though, whatever length, never bothered me, I always seemed to coast through exams, course work on the other hand I hated

Edited April 26, 2023 by tree monkey

[Ronaldo47]

I only started using a slide rule when I went off to university in 1965 to study engineering.  There, I became  conversant with three systems of units: the rationalised MKS system used by the Electrical Engineering Department, the cgs system used by the Physics Department (we did the Part 1 Physics course in our second year), while the Mechanical and Civil Engineering departments mostly used imperial, plus the occasional hybrid unit like the Centigrade Heat Unit  (1 CHU = the energy required to raise the temperature of 1 lb of water by 1°C). In my first term we had a module on units conversion, some light relief being provided by converting between terrestrial units and those of the planet Zog, which had a different gravity from the Earth and  used non-decimal units.

 

In school science lessons we used the cgs system. One thing I have never understood is that, while at junior school we were taught that 4 gills = 1 pint, I never came across anything  that was supplied in gills: small quantities of fluids like ink, came in that mysterious unit the Fluid Ounce. It was only later through doing my own photographic processing that I found that 20 Fluid Oz = 1 pint, and that the US fluid ounce is slightly bigger than the UK fluid ounce (both being defined as the volume of 1 Oz of water, but at  different temperatures).  When an adult, I did find that spirit measures in pubs were, before metrication, defined  in terms of fractions of a gill. 

 

Standardising in metric does make things simpler, but it is interesting that the diagonal dimensions of tv, computer and display  screens are almost universally defined as so many inches (pouce, zoll, pulgada, oncia etc)  in mainland europe.

Edited April 26, 2023 by Ronaldo47
typos

[MtB]

1 hour ago, Machpoint005 said:

As for the aviation industry ..  we've had the discussion about silly drill sizes on this forum before.

 

I can never be arsed working out if 19/32 is bigger or smaller than 11/16. Put the measurements into mm and it's obvious. 

 

 

 

 

Its quite depressing to read of such inability to do basic mental arithmetic.

 

11/16 is obviously 22/32, so larger than 19/32.

 

 

[ditchcrawler]

1 minute ago, MtB said:

 

 

Its quite depressing to read of such inability to do basic mental arithmetic.

 

11/16 is obviously 22/32, so larger than 19/32.

 

 

Is that like a 1/4 lb burger is bigger then 1/3Lb one because 4 is bigger than 3 ?  Did Third-of-a-Pound Burger Fail Because People Didn't Understand Fractions? | Snopes.com

[MtB]

4 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Is that like a 1/4 lb burger is bigger then 1/3Lb one because 4 is bigger than 3 ?  Did Third-of-a-Pound Burger Fail Because People Didn't Understand Fractions? | Snopes.com

 

 

Oh no, another one! 

 

 

[1st ade]

1 hour ago, David Mack said:

I remember that, during the move to metric in the early 1970's...

Hence stupidity like...

[Tacet]

2 hours ago, IanD said:

What could be simpler is something that's correct... 😉

 

22 yards make a chain

10 chains make a furlong

8 furlongs make a mile

Oh dear; what a mistake.

More is the pity as I remember the job title of chainman, and whilst he no longer had that much to do with surveyors chains, it was still featured in the annual works sports day.  He who could throw the chain so it landed in the straightest line was the winner.

[Machpoint005]

18 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

 

Its quite depressing to read of such inability to do basic mental arithmetic.

 

11/16 is obviously 22/32, so larger than 19/32.

 

 

 

I can do it perfectly well, thank you, but I object to being forced when a much better way is available.

 

Why waste good thinking time on unnecessary mental calisthenics?

 

 

Edited April 26, 2023 by Machpoint005

[Jerra]

41 minutes ago, M_JG said:

 

Phone GPS accuracy can vary but will be better if it is connected to wi-fi.

I am connected to WiFi

41 minutes ago, M_JG said:

 

Mine is currently showing us as being on the neighbours pitch but it's not currently connected to wi-fi.

 

When at home its usually bang on.

 

 

GPS test app says I am connected to 14 satellites.

[Machpoint005]

10 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Oh no, another one! 

 

 

 

No, one.

 

 

Just one.

 

[Tacet]

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

 

I was educated using imperial measurement , (and £sd).

The 'numbers' and their 'multiplyers' are as natural as breathing.

 

15th Feb 1971 was a dark, dark, day for the UK

Was it the same seat of learning that taught you spelping and the appropriate use, of 'punctuation'?😉

[Jerra]

I was educated from secondary school onward (started 1958) in metric.  When the UK went metric in the 70s I visited a farm a few weeks later, the farmer was preparing a young bull for show.  He asked me how heavy I thought it was, knowing he was elderly I gave the weight in imperial.  The reply "nay lad thats nea use t'me t'scales are metric" (so much for farmers not taking to change).

 

It is worth noting that the Florin (which many will remember) was introduced in 1849 as a first step towards decimalisation.

 

Who says Brits are slow to embrace change?

[Guest]

15 minutes ago, Jerra said:

I am connected to WiFi

 

Then I cannot explain.

 

When I am at home I can tell whether I'm at the front of the house, the rear of the house or in the front or rear garden.

 

https://www.scienceabc.com/innovation/how-does-turning-on-wifi-improve-the-location-accuracy-of-a-device.html

[Jerra]

6 minutes ago, M_JG said:

 

Then I cannot explain.

 

When I am at home I can tell whether I'm at the front of the house, the rear of the house or in the front or rear garden.

 

https://www.scienceabc.com/innovation/how-does-turning-on-wifi-improve-the-location-accuracy-of-a-device.html

I have just assumed it is to do with the fact I use a cheap phone as opposed to a trendy up market model.