ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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The problems with drifting standards affect all standard systems,
including both metric and British.  That's why the international standards
committees and organizations have been moving from using specific objects
and devices as the primary standards to using characteristics as
fundamental to nature as possible.  Examples:  length is now defined by
wavelengths of light from particular atomic transitions, rather than by
standard meter bars and yardsticks.  Time is defined by frequencies of
light, rather than by the rotation of the Earth or the ticks of a
particular clock.  Voltage, magnetic fields, and many other standards have
also transitioned from particular objects to more fundamental properties.

Researchers at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology just
won their 4th Nobel Prize for work on this challenge.  Seems that figuring
out the most stable and reliable properties of nature takes one right to
the cutting edge of fundamental science, as well as providing practical
tools for industry and commerce.  NIST researchers are working hard right
now to find an atomic-scale replacement for the standard kilogram.

I'm working on exhibits for NIST, which how I have come to find these
endeavors so fascinating.

Alan
________________________________________
Alan J. Friedman, Ph.D.
Consultant for Museum Development and Science Communication
29 West 10th Street
New York, New York 10011 USA
T  +1 917 882-6671
E   [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
W www.FriedmanConsults.com <http://www.friedmanconsults.com/>
 
a member of The Museum Group
www.museumgroup.com <http://www.museumgroup.com/>






On 1/9/13 12:00 AM, "ISEN-ASTC-L automatic digest system"
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Date:    Tue, 8 Jan 2013 11:42:45 +0100
>From:    Paolo Cocco <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: Official Kilogram Standard Contaminated: Experiments Could
>be Affected
>
>ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
>institutions.
>**************************************************************************
>***
>
>Great. I had *just* managed to convince my American friends that the
>metric
>system was more rational...
>On Jan 7, 2013 10:51 PM, "Glenn A. Walsh" <[log in to unmask]>
>wrote:
>
>> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology
>>Centers
>> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
>> institutions.
>>
>> 
>>*************************************************************************
>>****
>>
>> The international standard, a cylinder-shaped hunk of metal that defines
>> the fundamental unit of mass, has gained tens of micrograms of mass from
>> surface contamination, according to a new study.
>>
>> As a result, each country that has one of these standard masses has a
>> slightly different definition of the kilogram, which could throw off
>> science experiments that require very precise weight measurements.
>>
>>
>> 
>>http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/2013/01/official-kilogram-standard-co
>>ntaminated.html
>>
>> gaw
>>
>> Glenn A. Walsh, Project Director,
>> Friends of the Zeiss < http://friendsofthezeiss.org >
>> Electronic Mail - < [log in to unmask] >
>> SpaceWatchtower Blog: < http://spacewatchtower.blogspot.com/ >
>>

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