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Big Test Coming Up For Kilogram Redefinition (ieee.org)
szotz writes: Electromechanical balances have got to be better than an aged lump of platinum and iridium right? Teams are working to get kilograms measured and shipped to Paris in time for a test to see whether the technology (along with another that uses ultrapure silicon spheres) is now ready to redefine the kilogram. Why is this redefinition interesting? Because it's about using physics to overcome one problem with weight standards based on tightly held exemplars in standards bodies' inner sanctums: the mass of those exemplars can change, however subtly, introducing uncertainty and confusion. From the article: The world's metrologists aim to change this state of affairs in 2018 by fixing the kilogram to the Planck constant, a fundamental physical constant. That shift would, at least in principle, allow any laboratory to "realize" the kilogram from scratch with a series of experiments and specialized equipment. But for that scheme to work, the kilogram derived by one laboratory must be the same as those derived by others.
So really it is just a global scientific test of who's is bigger.
No, it's a multiplayer game of "You show me yours and I'll show you mine."
Sounds like they won't be needing that kilo of platnium anymore... Send it to me please.
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This is a massive development.
Don't waste your vote! Vote for whoever you want, unless you live in a swing state it won't matter anyways
Weight Watchers International weighted in on the discussion requesting the new kg to be defined at twice the weight of the current kg ("Yes Sandy, I lost half of my weight in the blink of an eye!"), while grocers all over the planet petitioned to divide the current value by four.
All kilograms are equal
but some are more equal than others.
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I bet they're going to change the definition from 1 kg = 1024 grams to 1 kg = 1000 grams. And we'll probably have to write "kig" too to make sure we don't get confused about the old definition.
I only come here for the comments and quality discussion. Did not leave disappointed.
It should be defined by Pope Francis
He used to be a chemist, and is infallible.