Metric Revolution The Humanistic Implications of the International System of Measures (SI) Nicholas...
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Transcript of Metric Revolution The Humanistic Implications of the International System of Measures (SI) Nicholas...
Metric Revolution
The Humanistic Implications of the International System of Measures
(SI)
Nicholas A. Theisen 2002
History of the Metric System I
• 1585 – Simon Stevin (at left) – Le Disme
• 1660 – The Royal Society – decimal measures
• 1786 – Thomas Jefferson – the decimal dollar
Beginnings
History of the Metric System IIa
• Blame the French• 1735 – La Condamine• 1790 – The Academy
of Sciences proposes Franco-British collabo-ration
• 1792 – Méchain and Delambre set out
Monarchy and Revolution
Pierre François André Méchain
History of the Metric System IIb
• 1798 – Meridian ex-pedition completed
• 1799 – International Assembly
• France has peculiar relationship with own standards.
International Reception
Jean-Baptiste-Joseph Delambre
Development I
• Meter (m - length)• Second (s - time)• Gram (g - mass)• Kelvin
(temperature)
• Volume (m3)• Speed (m/s)• Force (gm/s2 or one
Newton)• Frequency (cycles/s)
Base Units Derived Units
Development IIa
• Length – meter – 1/40,000,000 of the circumference of the earth
• Mass – gram – 1 cm3 of water at 1 atmosphere
• Volume – liter – 1 dm3
Initial Definitions
Development IIb
• Length – meter – distance light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458th of 1 second
• Mass – gram – 1/1,000 of a platinum-iridium cylinder
• Volume – m3 – a cubic meter
Current Definitions
Development III
The metric system uses a base ten mathematical structure. Single units are divided into subunits by groups of ten, making conversion between subunits much easier.
Decimal Structure
one decimeter
one centimeter x 10 = one decimeter
Politics I (resistance)
• The United States
• We, the People
• Case Study: a stu-dent of engineering Metric
Politics II (control)
• Britain and India• Universal Standards as
a means of consoli-dating political con-trol.
• “International” rami-fications of SI
A battle during the Sepoy rebellion*
Politics III (revolution)
• French Revolution
• Industrial Revolution
• Metric Revolution
steam engine*
Philosophy Ia (comfort)
• Subjective measure (e.g. foot)
• Objective measure (e.g. meter)
• Historical negative reaction to SI may be “natural”
one “foot”
Philosophy Ib (creativity)
• 3 Stoppages Étalon (1914)*
• One of Marcel Duchamp’s first ready-made pieces
• His “response” to the meter
click here for larger image
Philosophy IIa
• Ratio mensurae – SI as Aristotelian-Thomistic (unity)*
• Though, divisibility a key component of SI
• The “one” is arbitrary.
whole
halves
quarters
etc.
Philosophy IIb (10x)
• Simon Stevin – Decimal base useful for universal standard
• Is base 10 objective? (the ten finger hypo-thesis)
10x Fingers
Philosophy III (silliness)
• Sometimes dislike for metric system is en-tirely irrational.
• Peculiar associations between English standards and various Americana
http://www.metricsucks.com
Conversion
• Why Metric? Why not just convert?
• Sept. 1999 - Mars Climate Orbiter lost
• SI intended to increase efficiency - conversion reduces efficiency
NASA’s Mars Climate Orbiter site
Taxonomy
The metric system represents a dispassionate means of carving up the world: a system not based on local, subjective rules but rather on global, universal regulations. The revo-lutions both for and against represent in some respects taking sides in favor of either the global or local.
The Global Community
With the majority of the world now using SI, a global language of measure has become available, even if historical ethnic language barriers still exist. But with the U.S. not fully committed to metric reform, the history of SI continues to play out even until the present moment.
fin
Nicholas A. Theisen 2002