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Content provided by Gabrielle Birchak. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Gabrielle Birchak or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://staging.podcastplayer.com/legal.
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A Measure for All People: The History of Metrics

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Manage episode 485219227 series 2737493
Content provided by Gabrielle Birchak. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Gabrielle Birchak or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://staging.podcastplayer.com/legal.

Episode Overview

How did a bold Enlightenment vision become the universal language of science and technology? In this episode of Math! Science! History!, Gabrielle takes you on a journey through the revolutionary origins, global adoption, and modern significance of the metric system. Discover how a chaotic world of local measurements gave way to an elegant, decimal-based system designed to unify not just France—but the entire planet. From the daring expedition of Delambre and Méchain to today's atomic-clock-calibrated definitions, this story reveals how the metric system continues to shape spaceflight, AI, and even cryptocurrency.

3 Things You Will Learn

Why the French Revolution called for a measurement system “for all people, for all time.”

How the metric system evolved from platinum prototypes to quantum-based constants.

Why the metric system is essential in today’s world, from Mars missions to microchips.

Resources & References

BIPM – International System of Units (SI)

NIST – Redefinition of the Kilogram

Alder, Ken. The Measure of All Things

Quinn, Terry. From Artefacts to Atoms

O’Connor, Anahad. “Why the U.S. Doesn't Use the Metric System” – The New York Times

Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h

🌍 Let’s Connect!

Website: mathsciencehistory.com Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/math-science-history

Enjoying the Podcast?

If you love Math, Science, History, here’s how you can help:Leave a review – It helps more people discover the show!Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs!Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform

☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! https://shorturl.at/bHIsc

Checking out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store

🎵 Audio: Mixed by David Aviles

Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Waltz with Me by Beat Mekanik Camille Saint-Saëns, Danse Macabre by Kevin MacLeod

Until next time, carpe diem!

  continue reading

124 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 485219227 series 2737493
Content provided by Gabrielle Birchak. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Gabrielle Birchak or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://staging.podcastplayer.com/legal.

Episode Overview

How did a bold Enlightenment vision become the universal language of science and technology? In this episode of Math! Science! History!, Gabrielle takes you on a journey through the revolutionary origins, global adoption, and modern significance of the metric system. Discover how a chaotic world of local measurements gave way to an elegant, decimal-based system designed to unify not just France—but the entire planet. From the daring expedition of Delambre and Méchain to today's atomic-clock-calibrated definitions, this story reveals how the metric system continues to shape spaceflight, AI, and even cryptocurrency.

3 Things You Will Learn

Why the French Revolution called for a measurement system “for all people, for all time.”

How the metric system evolved from platinum prototypes to quantum-based constants.

Why the metric system is essential in today’s world, from Mars missions to microchips.

Resources & References

BIPM – International System of Units (SI)

NIST – Redefinition of the Kilogram

Alder, Ken. The Measure of All Things

Quinn, Terry. From Artefacts to Atoms

O’Connor, Anahad. “Why the U.S. Doesn't Use the Metric System” – The New York Times

Explore more on our website: mathsciencehistory.com To buy my book Hypatia: The Sum of Her Life on Amazon, visit https://a.co/d/g3OuP9h

🌍 Let’s Connect!

Website: mathsciencehistory.com Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mathsciencehistory.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/math.science.history LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/math-science-history

Enjoying the Podcast?

If you love Math, Science, History, here’s how you can help:Leave a review – It helps more people discover the show!Share this episode with friends & fellow history buffs!Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform

☕ Support the Show: Coffee!! https://shorturl.at/bHIsc

Checking out our merch: https://www.mathsciencehistory.com/the-store

🎵 Audio: Mixed by David Aviles

Music: All music is public domain and has no Copyright and no rights reserved. Selections from The Little Prince by Lloyd Rodgers Waltz with Me by Beat Mekanik Camille Saint-Saëns, Danse Macabre by Kevin MacLeod

Until next time, carpe diem!

  continue reading

124 episodes

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