On 13 Jun 2011 at 20:09, Dr Chandler wrote:
> Having started life as an undergrad in engineering
Henry:
Sorry - I initially thought this was heading for the "long weight" anecdote!
> I experienced 3 major and many minor unit changes before it all didn't
> settle down
Our physics teacher at school indeed convinced us that all that was
required was consistency, so the stone-pole-weekend system would
perform just as well as cgs or MKS
> So we invented our own and the basic concentration unit was
> shekels/cubic cubit
Isn't that a 'mixed system' unit, involving Israeli shekels and Egyptian
cubits? and as such, likely to be rejected by everyone
> Arguments about units strike me now as then to be mainly involved with
> angels and pins
Ah yes, but International Standards and their derivatives are intended to
provide a common basis for trade, becoming increasingly important as
IVD manufacturers consolidate within a global market
Frames of reference and definitions are also of overriding importance -
with the coming of population obesity angels are now much heavier (I
saw recently that "one third of Americans are now heavier than the
other two") and hatpins have much bigger heads than those used for
sewing . . .
Best wishes
David (60, but not yet retired)
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