Brian Cox had the very best response for a troll who moaned that he measured outer space in kilometres

John Plunkett. Updated January 13th, 2025

Regular readers – we know you’re out there – won’t need telling that we are big fans of Brian Cox.

Both of them, in fact, but in this case we’re talking Professor Brian Cox, back on our screens last year with his series, Solar System (and a very good watch it was too).

We mention the great man because it turns out – hard to believe we know – that not everyone is a fan of Cox. Specifically this man who took issue with the professor’s fondness for measuring outer space in kilometres.

@ProfBrianCox it’s so frustrating watching Brian Cox’s shows when he uses kilometres.The BBC doesn’t even respect British people enough to at least put the MPH on the screen.Everyone in the uk measures distance in miles.Say kilometres all you want but show mph too..easy @BBCNews

— James Crossley (@CLETUSVANDAM12) January 13, 2025

They prompted no end of totally on-point replies …

You get more kilometres on an interplanetary tape measure. Value.

— James May (@MrJamesMay) January 13, 2025

Ireland got rid of the last vestiges of miles on our roads (speed limits) 20 years ago and it was one of the more painless switchovers we’ve done, it’s daft to persist with an old system simply because “everyone in the UK uses miles”. No one else does!

— Joe Siff (@showsiff) January 13, 2025

But James, MPH is a measure to f speed, not distance.

— The Walking Beard (@BeardWalking) January 13, 2025

The scientific community uses the metric system, because it makes sense to.

He’s not catering to anyone because that’s what science is. You’d know if you stayed in school

— Sam (@Atreyeu_) January 13, 2025

But surely no-one said it better than Brian Cox himself.

Wait ‘till he finds out that the statute mile is defined to be precisely 1,609.344 metres. https://t.co/nTn82bfHzo

— Brian Cox (@ProfBrianCox) January 13, 2025

Boom.

So good , https://t.co/vlCa9M0Por

— Steve Truman (@stevetrumanau) January 13, 2025

Dude attempts to get all edgy, gets roasted. pic.twitter.com/k2qRohtPmE

— Chris On (@ItsChrisOnX) January 13, 2025

hahahahahahahahaha
oh no gosh https://t.co/Nb5L2r7W31

— Souciva (@SoucivaMA) January 13, 2025

But how many feet is that?

— Paul (@PRHetherington) January 13, 2025

Source @ProfBrianCox