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+--- Thread: Constants that Aren't (/thread-11816.html)
Constants that Aren't - mark4flies - 11-17-2018 12:29 PM
New SI Units
RE: Constants that Aren't - Tim Wessman - 11-17-2018 01:31 PM
You are just constanting wrong...
RE: Constants that Aren't - BruceH - 11-17-2018 03:02 PM
Sky News reports the decision with a helpful comparison to help the reader appreciate the size of the problem:
Quote:Although the mother of all kilograms has only been taken out of its protective case four times in the last century, it has lost atoms and therefore mass.
It amounts to just 20 billionths of a gram, about the weight of an eyelash, but those small changes are important to maintaining accuracy.
I never realised my eyelashes were so light. I wonder why I find it so hard to open my eyes first thing in the morning then? :-)
RE: Constants that Aren't - StephenG1CMZ - 11-17-2018 03:14 PM
(11-17-2018 03:02 PM)BruceH Wrote: Sky News reports the decision with a helpful comparison to help the reader appreciate the size of the problem:
Quote:Although the mother of all kilograms has only been taken out of its protective case four times in the last century, it has lost atoms and therefore mass.
It amounts to just 20 billionths of a gram, about the weight of an eyelash, but those small changes are important to maintaining accuracy.
I never realised my eyelashes were so light. I wonder why I find it so hard to open my eyes first thing in the morning then? :-)
Ah, that might be because we are in the uk...where a billionth is a thousand times heavier than in the us (or used to be).
Edit: Oops, that should be lighter. Thanks grsbanks.
RE: Constants that Aren't - Stevetuc - 11-17-2018 03:23 PM
(11-17-2018 03:14 PM)StephenG1CMZ Wrote:(11-17-2018 03:02 PM)BruceH Wrote: Sky News reports the decision with a helpful comparison to help the reader appreciate the size of the problem:
I never realised my eyelashes were so light. I wonder why I find it so hard to open my eyes first thing in the morning then? :-)
Ah, that might be because we are in the uk...where a billionth is a thousand times heavier than in the us (or used to be).
I thought things were always bigger in the US ;-)
RE: Constants that Aren't - grsbanks - 11-17-2018 05:20 PM
(11-17-2018 03:14 PM)StephenG1CMZ Wrote: Ah, that might be because we are in the uk...where a billionth is a thousand times heavier than in the us (or used to be).
Lighter, not heavier
A UK billionth is 10^-12 whereas a US billionth is 10^-9
RE: Constants that Aren't - KeithB - 11-21-2018 07:02 PM
https://xkcd.com/2073/
And set pi = 3.
RE: Constants that Aren't - JimP - 11-22-2018 05:53 AM
And variables that don’t?