The University of Nottingham contacted us to help them develop a marketing tool based on a traditional scale ruler, but with a bespoke design tailored entirely to their unique requirements…

“The School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Nottingham is always looking for new ways to engage the public with science, and excite the next generation about the possibility of studying for a degree in the subject.

We came up with the idea of producing a ruler that shows both a normal centimetre scale and a logarithmic scale that illustrates the full range of sizes in the Universe from the sub-atomic to the cosmic.   The intention was to produce an item that was both practical for day-to-day use, so would have a long “pencil case life,” but also had information that was more specific to physicists by listing the values of common physical constants, as well as providing a sense of the dramatic range of scales that we get to deal with every day.   When we also hit on the name for this useful and entertaining giveaway – The Ruler of the Universe – we knew we had to make it! 

Having put together a preliminary design, some enquiries turned up Building Link as the ideal manufacturers, even though our scales are rather more extreme than the bespoke scale rulers that they usually produce.  A few painless iterations later, and we had the perfect product at a very reasonable price.  The Rulers of the Universe that we have handed out so far at outreach events have been received with delight and pleas for extras; we are already having to re-order!”

Michael Merrifield
Professor of Astronomy
School of Physics & Astronomy
University of Nottingham