Re: [[SPAM]]Re: Metric system

[boris pavlov <edi@elib.minfin.bg>]

Joe Emenaker wrote:
> Lionel Elie Mamane wrote:
> > On Tue, Jul 03, 2007 at 06:25:33PM +0200, Anders Breindahl wrote:
> >  
> > > Also, the metric system (and to a larger extent, the SI system) has
> > > an arbitrary _base_ unit (ever heard of the one-meter-bar in
> > > Paris?).
> > >     
> > Incidentally, that is not the reference anymore. The meter is the
> > distance that light crosses in absolute vacuum in 1/299,792,458s.
> Oh... and *that's* not arbitrary? :P
>
> Originally, it was 1/40,000,000th of the earth's circumference or 
> something like that. But the earth jiggles, so they had to switch to 
> something that holds still. :)
it is, but only for the base 'units'. all derivatives are related to 
them, and (again arbitrary) multiplier - number of the fingers of both 
hands of average human :).

edi.