The next time you pick up a bag of spuds from the supermarket or fill up the car with petrol, you can thank a treaty signed 150 years ago for the metric system that underpins daily life. On May 20, ...

A metrology revolution: In the 1790s, the Revolutionary government in France installed standard metre lengths made of marble in busy areas around Paris. This is one of the last remaining examples.

For three months, Britons have been advised to keep a wide berth from other people: two metres, to be precise. The two metre rule has been sprayed on pavements, emblazoned at park entrances and ...