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Violet Chernoff
E Band
January 14th, 2019

Redefining the World's Metric System


After many years of contemplating how to fix the International System of Units, which is known as the metric system, scientists have voted to use fundamental scientific “constants” to define every base unit. It may come as a surprise to some that the widely used system is flawed, and it may be even more shocking that the measurements were originally based on physical objects. The system was created to address an issue of inconsistent measurements in 1700s France, where food was scarce and bakers were tricking customers, who lacked the ability to measure the amount, by selling less bread for the same amount of money. At the time, there were thousands of somewhat arbitrary units of measurement, which made trade nearly impossible. As a solution to these problems, the French developed the Grand K, which was a piece of metal that physically represented the value of a kilogram, by cubing a tenth of the original meter (which was wrongly measured by a human) and filling it with water.
Although it was carefully protected from the outside world through tight security and monitoring, what happened to the “Grand K” was proof of scientist’s worst fears; when they measured it next to a modern day kilogram, its weight came slightly short. This meant that there was no accurate definition of the kilogram. Though the error was marginal, it led to many larger errors in science; for example, when measuring the constants of nature, scientists used a kilogram calibrated against the Grand K, resulting in increased uncertainty in very important measurements.
Since then, scientists have worked tirelessly to improve the system, and now all seven scientific base units, which include meters and kilograms, will be based on known fixed values of constants. This change has been in the works for centuries, and is the embodiment of the 18th century idea that natural laws are constant, unlike physical objects, and can therefore provide a more reliable basis for measurements. It also realizes the original goal of the system, which was to be worldwide and timeless. What the French failed to recognize was that although their measurements had significance, meaning they were not completely random, their physical representations could not remain unchanging ‘forever.’ Now, since the system is based on certain scientific principles, it is not only universal, but also timeless.
Although this change may not seem significant, the whopping six and a half billion people who use the metric system daily will be impacted. This change will serve to make measurements more precise and accurate in relation to others with different units, and will manifest itself in making groundbreaking technological innovations possible. This may, for example, allow Apple to discover new ways to develop the IPhone, which would have a large-reaching effect on society. It also may change the way substances which require very specific and precise quantities, such as pills, are measured and distributed. This is a major step forward for humanity because we now have an unparalleled, long-lasting system, that incorporates many constants that have been discovered through very hard work, and enables us to maintain universal communication and consistency. In a world in which facts are often slippery, and many spheres of life seem uncertain, it is reassuring to know that now a kilogram is really a kilogram.

Works Cited:
​

NIST. (2018). A Turning Point for Humanity: Redefining the World’s Measurement System. [online] Available at: https://www.nist.gov/si-redefinition/turning-point-humanity-redefining-worlds-measurement-system [Accessed 20 Dec. 2018].
​

WNYC Studios. (2018). The Meter: The Measure of a Man | Radiolab | WNYC Studios. [online] Available at: https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/meter-measure-man [Accessed 20 Dec. 2018].


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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