From: rhinoceros (rhinoceros@freemail.gr)
Date: Sat Sep 21 2002 - 19:34:22 MDT
> This is pretty much arbitrary. They could choose any other constant related
> to length, divide or multiply it by a round decimal number, and define a
> different unit.
[Nurgle]
If memory serves me correctly, the metric system is anything but arbitrary. 1
cubic metre of water (at a certain temperature) weighs exactly 1 metric
ton....
[rhinoceros]
A metric ton is also arbitrary, or rather it is suitably defined.
There is not anything in nature which has a length of one meter, neither anything which weighs one kilogram.
At some time in the past someone defined that this stick of wood is one meter, and now we are just following a tradition while we reformulate the definition for better acuracy.
---- This message was posted by rhinoceros to the Virus 2002 board on Church of Virus BBS. <http://virus.lucifer.com/bbs/index.php?board=51;action=display;threadid=26002>
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