IMAGINE, for a moment, a world without measurements. No miles or kilometres; no grams or ounces; no inches, litres, fathoms or furlongs. A world where height, weight, depth, volume, area and length are essentially incalculable. The thought seems faintly ludicrous. Our current units of measurement have become so ingrained in daily life that they almost seem to have existed since the dawn of time. But not only is each one the product of human invention, each one also has a story behind it.
This is the central premise behind, a new book by author Claire Cock-Starkey. It tells the tale of how we’ve used measurements to impose order onto the world around us. Nautical miles, altimeters, measuring jugs,
