The Kilogram is Shrinking!

newsfeed.time.com...

Currently, the kilogram is based on the mass of a platinum-iridium bar stored in a vault in a Parisian suburb. Aside from sounding like it should be the target of a heist in the next crime thriller, scientists estimate the bar's mass may have actually changed by 50 micrograms over the years, which they note is “the mass of a small grain of sand 0.4 mm in diameter.”

Metric vs. English System? I'm from the US, but I always thought the English system was the most pointless thing ever. They cling to it here because they're fat, white and afraid of change.

This is interesting though, and definitely something to watch.

I was about to argue with you in regards to your insult about the English, but then I realised that in fact yes, I am fat, white and afraid of change....

reply to post by DocEmrick


How ridiculas!, Everyone will have to go and buy new weighing scales and weights, what a complete pain-in-the-neck idea

reply to post by KatieVA


I think he was talking about the Americans but its truthfull for some of the english as well

Originally posted by DocEmrick
newsfeed.time.com...

Currently, the kilogram is based on the mass of a platinum-iridium bar stored in a vault in a Parisian suburb. Aside from sounding like it should be the target of a heist in the next crime thriller, scientists estimate the bar's mass may have actually changed by 50 micrograms over the years, which they note is “the mass of a small grain of sand 0.4 mm in diameter.”

Metric vs. English System? I'm from the US, but I always thought the English system was the most pointless thing ever. They cling to it here because they're fat, white and afraid of change.

This is interesting though, and definitely something to watch.

Fat? White? Racist any?


I really dont see a point. Interesting article, but whats with all the hate, buddy?

reply to post by TedHodgson


Now I am fat, white, afraid of change and I need to learn to read things more carefully. I'll get my coat....

I resent the fat remark. I might be white, and I might be just a teensy bit afraid of change, but I am not fat.



And the amount of change you are speaking of is so minimal that I doubt it will change much.

reply to post by DocEmrick


My preferred method of measurement is based on the length of a kings foot. Just saying

anyways, the kilogram has not changed, the mass they used to determine what a kilogram is has changed, a kilogram is still a kilogram. Worst case scenario, get a new 1 kilogram mass of platinum-iridium.

Wuts the big deal?

The comments regarding America were a joke, relax everyone. Hasn't anyone ever seen Family Guy? "Look at me, I'm a fat white guy afraid of change?" Come on ATS.

Originally posted by TedHodgson
reply to post by KatieVA

 

I think he was talking about the Americans but its truthfull for some of the english as well

From the OP

Metric vs. English System? I'm from the US, but I always thought the English system was the most pointless thing ever. They cling to it here because they're fat, white and afraid of change. This is interesting though, and definitely something to watch.

Why is it called the English system, if it isn't metric? That has me confused. I thought the USA was the only country not using metric now. Everyone else who are english (speaking?) countries uses metric.

On a good note, we're all a very wee bit lighter

reply to post by snowspirit


I think your find in Britain we use the Metperial method.. which is made by squashing the Metric and Imperial systems together, and is done out of desire to really confuse everyone

I love the system BTW George Orwell wrote that our systems (whatever we use) have always defied logic.. never a truer word said..

Anyway.. I buy 4inch x 2inch timber in meters lengths and fuel my car in litres while working out distances miles why give up one system when you can be greedy and have both

reply to post by thoughtsfull


Canada does the same, height and weight of people mostly in feet, inches, pounds - some doctors use stones (not sure how to measure in stones). Gas is bought in litres, mileage in kilometers. Lumber is still called 2x4, etc.

Its probably a good idea to have Metperial, I don't think the US is going to go metric anytime soon. So we need both.

reply to post by DocEmrick


I'm not fond of the Metric system - because I grew up in a backward arse culture - but really - using any other system in this day and age is anti-intellectual.

Science FTW!

Originally posted by thoughtsfull
reply to post by snowspirit

 

I think your find in Britain we use the Metperial method.. which is made by squashing the Metric and Imperial systems together, and is done out of desire to really confuse everyone

]

That is truly the single best explanation I've ever seen!

About the bar; I wonder if something underground is altering the local gravity?

So actually you want to say that women weigh more these days?

Originally posted by mydarkpassenger

Originally posted by thoughtsfull
reply to post by snowspirit

 

I think your find in Britain we use the Metperial method.. which is made by squashing the Metric and Imperial systems together, and is done out of desire to really confuse everyone

]

That is truly the single best explanation I've ever seen!

About the bar; I wonder if something underground is altering the local gravity?

Thanks in truth I gathered the notion from George Orwell who wrote that the British "obstinately cling to everything that is out of date and a nuisance, have a spelling system that defies analysis, and a system of weights and measures that is intelligible only to the compilers of arithmetic books, to see how little they care about mere efficiency" which just backed up the idea we really just make it up as we go along..

On topic and about the bar, I do wonder what has changed... could the bar be degrading somehow?

Or *with tin foil hat* is the something that is changing the same underlying something that is messing up mother nature...

reply to post by DocEmrick


'cause in addition to being fat, white, and afraid of change, they're also very defensive about all three.

"Kilogram? Forget that mess, he called us white! GITTIM!"
"But.. .We are white!"
"GITTIM ANYWAY!"

one reply on topic out of 16, is that efficient or even sensible?

50µg is very little and i'd like to know what kind of reference they are using. gravity for one isn't really constant and i don't know of any direct mass measurement. maybe they ought to try a centrifugal force approach, but then this PtIr bullion is more of historic significance than anything else, so it's really kind of pointless.

PS/OT: as for measuring systems, conversion isn't that hard and if you have to actually calculate things, you've only got to keep units compatible (but not necessarily metric, think of nautical miles and yards) which is why i don't understand why in aviation measurements of altitude are taken in feet, distance in miles and speed in knots, pure lunacy.

reply to post by thoughtsfull


Mechanics in Britain is awfully hard to understand and also when somthing is built useing the Metperial method sized nuts and bolts you need a completely new set of tools, they just wanted to be different??
On topic about the bars weight loss could be due to a few bumps on the way to the scales knocking a few micoscopic particles off it "Over the years". Or possible somthing in the atmosphere is dissolving it? Could there be somthing altering the local gravity?

double post