Letter: More than just 12 miles out

Saturday 25 July 1992 23:02 BST

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I LOOKED forward to reading 'Shuttle to reel out satellite on 12-mile line' (19 July). I was puzzled by the use of miles, but accepted it. However, in the second column I came across inches and pounds. Frankly, I am horrified. I don't understand these units.

As a thirty-something physics teacher, I have always worked in SI (metric) units. Until the units scientists work with are used in articles communicating science to the public the appalling gap between the scientifically literate and the rest will remain.

Marion Palmer

Dublin

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Letter: More than just 12 miles out

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