Anyone who has been involved with science or technology for more than 30 years may have noticed that so called metric units change with monotonous and confusing regularity.
At least so called imperial units remained more or less fixed, except for the errors the Americans introduced into the system that is.
Decimalisation of imperial units within the system worked fine, thous of an inch for precision, or tenths if really precise, or decimals of a foot for road buildingetc etc.
Ever heard the confusion with metric users when confronted with dc/cl/ml etc etc, and aren't millibars now some derevision of hectopascals, or are they the same thing?
With another half dozen or so nations being introduced into the EC, I expect each will require a unit to be named after their favourite scientist. Stand by for yet more post rationalisation additions to our unit vocabulary.
Just because Napoleon was a lousy mathematician, we have a metre which is not a metre.
Make mine a pint, and back to the Romans.