[Boatanchors] SI units and the rest

[rbethman]

Bar or "slug", platinum or platinum-iridium, it really doesn't matter.

We are "purportedly" using *newly* measured "standards", and we are yet 
using the only "antiquated" hunk in the possession of the French.  The 
gram is derived mathematically from this "antiquated" hunk, yet I'd be 
willing to consider placing that ALL the signatories to the SI units 
have NOT been allowed to either "see" this "slug and/or actually MEASURE it.

Makes one wonder what all the fuss and purported "standards" are worth!

Bob - N0DGN


On 11/16/2010 12:39 PM, mac wrote:
> The original definition of a METER  was based on a measured standard
> bar.  The standard was redefined in 1983 as the distance traveled by
> light in a vacuum during a time interval of 1/299,792,458 of a
> second,   The standard kilogram is a a cylindrically shaped platinum-
> iridium slug and is the only SI unit still defined by an artifact
> rather than a fundamental physical property that can be reproduced in
> different laboratories.
>
> Dennis D. W7QHO
> Glendale, CA
>