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Eli Baum
E Band
1-13-2018
​                                                                                            A New Way of Measuring

             After the French revolution, a cylinder of metal was created, and it was determined that the kilogram would be equal to its weight. However, on November 16, 2018, the international scientific community changed the definition of a kilogram from a lump of metal to a definition built upon the constants of physical science.

             By redefining the kilogram in this way, scientists have completed the last step to make the International System of Units entirely based upon the laws of the universe. This is a major turning point because from now on, measurements will no longer be built on unreliable standards like specific objects. The new system of measurement will be applicable at any time, usable by anyone, built upon the laws of the universe, and it will be universal. The redefinition of the kilogram, in short, marks the end of a time that has lasted since the cavemen, in which we measured physical objects in terms of other physical objects, and the beginning of a time in which we can measure everything in terms of natural phenomena.
            This is the culmination of the work of scientists dating back to the enlightenment. During this time, it was hypothesised that the natural laws of our universe are more constant and reliable for making measurements than any physical objects. Since then, scientists have slowly worked towards redefining each base unit in terms of natural phenomena instead of physical objects. Now, they have finally reached this goal.
             While there is no direct impact of the shift from measuring in terms of physical objects to natural phenomena, it is likely going to have an indirect impact upon us in the form of progress. Redefining the International System of Units so that it is fully in terms of natural phenomena paves the road for progress in two main ways. The first is that it gives more people the ability to make precise measurements. Since you no longer need to calibrate for a specific artifact, from now on, anyone, anywhere, can take measurements, without even going near the artifact (or a replica of it). Thus, there are more people who can easily do experiments and take measurements, thereby allowing more people to move the scientific field ahead.
             The second way in which redefining the International System of Units allows for progress is that it allows for increased scalability. Currently, as the magnitude of a measurement gets farther away from a given standard, which in this case is a kilogram, accuracy decreases. But by redefining the kilogram in terms of values like Planck's constant, the meter, and the second, there is no longer a standard, so the measurement accuracy will be the same no matter how close it is to 1 kilogram. This will improve the accuracy of measurements done by pharmaceutical companies, for example, as the fact that they are measuring incredibly small values will become much less impactful in terms of the accuracy of their experiments.
             When the kilogram was originally created in 1799, it was meant to act as a standard built upon the authority of nature. France wanted to create a unit of measurement that the whole world could use, and they wanted something that would be unchanging and eternal. Now, a little more than 200 years later, scientists have finally done this, redefining the kilogram to turned it into something universal, truly built upon the authority of nature.

Work Cited:


Materese, R. (2018, December 06). A Turning Point for Humanity: Redefining the World's Measurement System. Retrieved January 13, 2019, from https://www.nist.gov/si-redefinition/turning-point-humanity-redefining-worlds-measurement-system


​≤ kg | Radiolab. (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2018, from https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/kg


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  • Home
  • Who We Are
  • HOW TO SUBMIT
  • Past Publications
    • 2019 Publication >
      • Scientific Research
      • Mathematical Exploration
      • Scientific Exploration
      • Computer Science
    • 2018 Publication >
      • Artistic Creations
      • Historical and Current Explanations
      • Mathematic and Scientific Exploration
      • Scientific Research
    • 2017 Publication >
      • Artistic Creations
      • Historical and Current Explanations
      • Mathematic and Scientific Exploration
      • Reactions and Responses
      • Scientific Research
    • 2016 Publication >
      • Historical and Current Explanations
      • Mathematic and Scientific Explorations
      • Scientific Research
      • Reactions and Responses
      • Artistic Creations
    • 2015 Publication >
      • Historical and Current Explanations >
        • Bell Curves
        • Birds Vs. Turbines
        • Energy in the Obama Era
        • The Future of Neuroscience
        • Gender Gap in Math
        • GMOs--Yes or No?
        • The History of Minecraft: How a Swedish Indie Game Came to Dominate the World
        • The Effect of Prozac on the Brain
        • Philae Lander's Discovery of Organic Molecules
        • Advantages and Disadvantages of Wind Turbines
        • Your Own Worst Enemy: An Overview of Lupus
        • The Methylhex Ban
        • The Effect of Lyme Disease on the Immune system
        • Infectious Mononucleosis
        • Replacing CFCs
        • The Switch
      • Mathematic and Scientific Explorations >
        • The 43rd Figure
        • The Clock
        • The Collatz Conjecture
        • Constructing a Soccer Ball
        • Determining how Ballparks Affect Batter's Ability to Create Hits
        • The Rotating Conundrum
        • Pythagorean Puzzle
        • Mathematic and Scientific Explorations
        • Kinetics Lab
        • Math in the Restaurant Business
        • Math as a Vessel for Social Change
        • Sustainability of Bottled Vs. Tap Water
        • Thoughts on the Lottery
        • Understanding Player Efficiency Rating
      • Scientific Research >
        • Communicating With Computers
        • The Mystery of Asthma
        • The Nanoscopic War Against Cancer
        • Phytochemistry
        • Solving the energy crisis with Intermediate Band Solar Cells
        • A Pain That Never Ends
        • Rapamycin Resistance
        • Ampacity of a Single Core Horizontal Cable
        • Morphological Properties of Texting Acronym Formation
        • cGAS and STING Expression
      • Reactions and Responses >
        • Can Humans Survive the Climate Crisis?
        • My Experience as a Teacher's Assistant
        • Ted Talk Responses
        • Teens For Food Justice
      • Artistic Creations >
        • Chandelier
        • Deltoidal Hexacontrahedon
        • Dodecahedron Card Trick
        • Eye of the Triangle
        • Free Radric Delantic Davis
        • The Grid
        • What Does A Randomly Composed Song Sound Like?
        • Science Wing Mural
    • 2014 Publication >
      • Cover Photo
      • Artistic Creations >
        • Art Using the Fibonacci Sequence
        • Computer Generated Architecture and Designs
        • Mathematical Landscape
        • Math Art
        • Math in Music
      • Historical and Current Explanations >
        • Algae Bio-Fuel
        • An Energy Alternative
        • Clean Energy In Transportation
        • Calorie Restriction
        • Creating Energy in the Modern World
        • Dietary Intervention Impact on Gut Microbial Gene Richness
        • Earthly Applications for NASA Technology
        • Explaining Relative Motion
        • Exploring Artificial Inteligence
        • Gamma Function
        • How Leaves Work
        • Hydrogen Fuel Cells
        • Music and Brain Development
        • Programming Calculators
        • The Science of Microsatellites
        • Sci-Fi Taser
        • Sloane's Gap
        • Sustainable Energy: Why Some Ideas Shine Brighter than Others
        • Understanding The Galvanic Cell
        • The Virus: Our Unforeseen Philosopher's Stone
        • What Are Fuel Cells and How Do They Work?
      • Mathematic and Scientific Explorations >
        • Astrocytes Expressing ALS-Linked Mutated SOD1 Release Factors Selectively Toxic to Motor Neurons
        • Big Bang
        • Dictyostelium Discoideum
        • The Future of Solar Cell Technology
        • And Many More...
      • Reactions and Responses >
        • Alternative Energy Sources, New but Unused
        • An Insight Into the Curious World of Ethnobotany
        • Challenging What We Think We Know
        • The Current State of American Education
        • Discovering New Numbers
        • Interview With an Architect
        • Life of Pi Response
        • Mathematical Art Video Commentary
        • Missing from Science Class
        • The Museum of Math
        • The Inside Scoop on a Real Mathematician
    • 2013 Publication