In Panglossia on Thursday 13th June, Samuel W (L6th), took pupils on a mathematical journey that was absolutely fascinating. The story of the metric system, as Mr Williams told it, turned out to be surprisingly complex—even though the system itself might seem very simple.
Writes George T (L6th)
In his flawless presentation, he explained that some French scientists had grown tired of the imperial system, due to its inaccuracy and the way it varied from one region to another. France offered to collaborate on something new with the United Kingdom and the United States, but unfortunately, the English-speaking countries refused to give up their beloved imperial system. This motivated the French to create a new, impeccable system without their approval. Thanks to its simplicity, no one feared that the metric system would fail!
During French colonisation, the metric system was adopted by most of the world—and it remains so to this day! One might say the French held a grudge against the imperial system. However, the United States and the United Kingdom are not and will most probably never be ready to adopt the metric system. They are managing just fine with their system, so there is no reason to change it for now.
In conclusion, this presentation gave us valuable knowledge on a very niche topic, along with a touch of humour to keep me going in the world of maths!
