Why's a Meter a Meter?

Рет қаралды 559,393

7 жыл бұрын

Meter is the standard unit of length used by most countries around the world. But how did they define it?
Hosted by: Hank Green
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Sources:
www.nist.gov/sites/default/fi...
www.surveyhistory.org/the_stan...
physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/met...
www.npl.co.uk/educate-explore/...
www.nist.gov/sites/default/fi...
www.us-metric.org/origin-of-th...
nature.berkeley.edu/classes/e...
Image Sources:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...

Пікірлер: 1 200

@Master_Therion 7 жыл бұрын

Thank you to the many people who work to ensure the accuracy of the meter. Like, the utility company who sends someone out to check the meter at my house. I am grateful.

@schadenfreudebuddha 7 жыл бұрын

You have to pay for parking at your house? did the check the meter with some type of meter? what if you get home without quarters? If somebody has a solution for that, I'd like to meter.

@Master_Therion 7 жыл бұрын

schadenfreudebuddha I dated a Meter Maid for a while. Nice lady, but it was awkward, I was almost twice her height.

@schadenfreudebuddha 7 жыл бұрын

If you work it right, that can actually be a good thing. WINK! just don't kilometer maid, or you'll be COURTING a judge.

@jacywilson 7 жыл бұрын

why do you shitheads upvote his boring comments?

@schadenfreudebuddha 7 жыл бұрын

Jacy...are you suggesting we should upvote your pointless hostility? not a very MEASURED opinion, I'd say!

@Carlos-xs2ks 7 жыл бұрын

I've been told there's a woman who has good reasons to use imperial units over metric units... but I have yet to meter.

@Kilanna 7 жыл бұрын

Carlos .........carrrloooos......

@aaronsmith5864 7 жыл бұрын

Carlos bam puns

@TheJprox 7 жыл бұрын

Carlos Yeah I heard about her. My Gramps told me, and I was Centimeter but I got stood up.

@ragnarokstravius2074 7 жыл бұрын

Mister Carlos, it's better you get out of the internet on your own, or I "Uncle Phil Launch" you out for that pun.

@sswpp8908 7 жыл бұрын

Kilanna Thank you. It would have been a shame if this comment went without the followup Magic School Bus reference.

@luispinto4136 7 жыл бұрын

Why is a second a second?

@RSmeep13 7 жыл бұрын

the 60s come from an ancient base-60 counting system

@shikhanshu 7 жыл бұрын

because i am first!?

@lastinspace2103 7 жыл бұрын

a second is a cesium-186 atom rotating a sertain amount of times i think

@victoneter 7 жыл бұрын

The smallest unit of time that can in ancient times be universally defined no matter where you are on earth is a day/night. In ancient Babylon they did not use a decimal system, which is the numbers system we use today based on a base of 10, but they used a base of 60 or sometimes 12. So the Babylonians decided to divide the length of of time of a day by 12 hours, an hour by 60 minutes and a minute by 60 seconds. And since they were the first ones to do this (well), their use spread across the world until it became the norm. So it's pretty arbitrary but based on the length of time of 1 day. It's like if we divided the length of time of 1 day by 10,000 and called that a second

@harrisonnoll9285 7 жыл бұрын

SI definition of second is "the duration of 9 192 631 770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the cesium 133 atom"

@mickblock 7 жыл бұрын

I used to struggle to accept the metric system because having learned the imperial system during my formative years, it just wasn't second nature to me. But now that I can think of a metre simply as 1,659763.73 times the output wavelength of light when emitted through Krypton-86 in a vacuum, why it's much more intuitive.

@MeigsmerlinMeigsmerlin 6 жыл бұрын

Michael Block lol

@larryscott3982 6 жыл бұрын

Michael Block Or ... 2 meters is a tall man. Or finger tip to finger tip outstretched arms of a tall man. 100 Kg a basketball player. Or short fat man.

@peneasteca597 6 жыл бұрын

Larry Scott 2 meters is a tall man? 2 meters is a giant

@larryscott3982 6 жыл бұрын

pene asteca 1 significant digit. Round up. In the field to estimate range to target, use the height of a man as .... Measuring rope in fathoms ... a fathom ‘bout 2 m.

@JCarlosCS1221 5 жыл бұрын

A metre is roughly the size between the floor and my hip. That's intuitive enough for me.

@angeldude101 7 жыл бұрын

Can you continue this as a mini-series on "Why SI units are what they are?" I would take it that the kilogram would be last, not only because it's the only one with a prefix, but also because it's the only one still defined by a physical object.

@redracerb18 7 жыл бұрын

Do a Tesla mini-series covering all his inventions and discoveries. this post will be posted on all future videos until we get the mini-series.

@diegoantoniorosariopalomin4977 7 жыл бұрын

redracerb18 do a Elon musk mini series

@redracerb18 7 жыл бұрын

that would be a lot easier then a Tesla series. maybe 10 episodes max for musk.

@kairos-049 7 жыл бұрын

Have fun wasting your time? Good luck? IDK what to say, does anyone else care?

@completeandunabridged.4606 7 жыл бұрын

Grant D No, tesla is a hipsters scientist.

@diegoantoniorosariopalomin4977 7 жыл бұрын

The World Is Logic Tesla was a scientist who did real work , Thomas Edison stole most of his work

@kiwicolonel6864 7 жыл бұрын

English Yard? What about Scotland Yard?

@adamstone897 7 жыл бұрын

Kiwi Colonel Lols M15

@watchoutnwo 7 жыл бұрын

Kiwi Colonel ha!

@cougarhunter33 7 жыл бұрын

They are always stickin it to us Scots.

@ganaraminukshuk0 7 жыл бұрын

Welsh yard. Everyone forgets Wales.

@rishithsinha 7 жыл бұрын

Flying fox of the yard!?

@theCodyReeder 7 жыл бұрын

NOOOOO!!!! make it 1/300,000,000th of a second! ga! I am going to have to make up my own system aren't I.

@credocooperative 6 жыл бұрын

@matthewcousineau56 6 жыл бұрын

Cody'sLab it's crazy to think that almost everything humans have created (units of length and time, vocabulary, etc.) is completely arbitrary. Its only when a majority agrees upon using the same definition for something that we can communicate properly and understand each other. Which means if you get a big enough group of people to agree with naming/pronouncing stuff the same with whatever string of shapes as "letters", you could create a whole new language.

@yannicklairs9345 6 жыл бұрын

That's right! I've always wondered why they did not round it up to 1/300,000,000th of a second :\

@vornamenachname2727 6 жыл бұрын

A meter is still around the length of 1 millionth the distance between North and South pole through France at 0°Celsius. Based on that they can't change it, because it wouldn't be a meter anyomore.

@larryscott3982 6 жыл бұрын

Vorname Nachname Correction, 1/10,000,000 of 0-90 latitude, not pole to pole.

@DtWolfwood 7 жыл бұрын

9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom. ~ the Second

@BigDonkMongo 6 жыл бұрын

still relative

@0.001mm_tolerancy 6 жыл бұрын

still relative

@MrDan710 7 жыл бұрын

"Of course then, you have to find what a second is, which is a story for another time" Damn I love Scishow, and their dry humor

@petartsankov8655 7 жыл бұрын

for another time.... i see what you did there

@CapriUni 7 жыл бұрын

@wiertara1337 7 жыл бұрын

What? Time... time... oh, it's a pun... with great timing.

@doktormabuse7329 7 жыл бұрын

Petar Tsankov oh. i only thought of the shoddycast

@mrdeplorable3097 7 жыл бұрын

Wojtek Kiraga 🙌👏👏👏👏👏😂😂😂😂😕🙋😂😂😂😂👌👍

@noahegler9131 6 жыл бұрын

@hadrianromulus6688 7 жыл бұрын

Hearing the history of the meter and how it's definition has changed was so interesting. I love these types of videos!

@bluetannery1527 7 жыл бұрын

Hey Hank, why does America still use the imperial system?

@naryosh_ 7 жыл бұрын

I guess nobody's stopping them from using it.

@Leonj2932 7 жыл бұрын

William Tannery because we are assholes lol

@sammossbeck2969 7 жыл бұрын

William Tannery It's so integrated with America that changing everything like road signs and engineering standards would be far too expensive, there was a drive years ago, but that proved to be too costly and confusing for everyone. It's similar to the situation with the 'qwerty' keyboard layout in that it may not be the most efficient layout possible, but it's been used so long that changing it would require a lot of relearning

@Arpin_Lusene 7 жыл бұрын

Sam Mossbeck I think the best way for that is to ease it in, not suddenly changing all of it at once. For example for at school, students are made to learn both the imperial and metric systems, so that later they can still use both. The length measurement tool also need to have both the imperial and metric system, that way hopefully after some time, people can use metric system fully. I think it's doable, considering NASA also used metric system.

@toasty_mcdanish 7 жыл бұрын

William Tannery because we're America and everything we do is right and everything everyone else does is weird.

@rocketn8 7 жыл бұрын

Royale with cheese.

@schadenfreudebuddha 7 жыл бұрын

but what do they call the whopper?

@rocketn8 7 жыл бұрын

schadenfreudebuddha I dunno, I didn't go into a Burger King

@me3333 7 жыл бұрын

Why do they call it a royale with cheese?

@SandlotRider 7 жыл бұрын

They got the metric system there, they wouldn't know what the fuck a Quarter Pounder is.

@MrChwepsy 7 жыл бұрын

French here: we call it "Whopper".

@conorm.5331 7 жыл бұрын

"Meter? But I hardly know her!"

@sjwimmel 7 жыл бұрын

Conor M. Well, how will ya get to know her if you never meter?

@ragnarokstravius2074 7 жыл бұрын

Mister Conor, better you get out on your own, or I "Uncle Phil Launch" you out for that pun.

@conorm.5331 7 жыл бұрын

good one

@ragnarokstravius2074 7 жыл бұрын

You don't know what a Uncle Phil Launch is? You never saw Fresh Prince of Bel Air? If not, it's the act of grabbing a person by the waist line of it's pants or skirt and by the back of their neck and throwing them out of a open door into the front yard.

@cassondrajanssen8351 7 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the new video! I really love your channel :)

@MortRotu 7 жыл бұрын

Please make these into a mini series covering all the SI units =)

@jason200912 7 жыл бұрын

HOLD ON NOW! What did they use to measure the distance between Dunkirk and Spain with?

@Ariranhaa 7 жыл бұрын

Hmmm, well thought indeed...

@stefans4562 7 жыл бұрын

jason200912 Old geographic measuring is fascinating. Look it up on the internet, you won't be disappointed.

@stefans4562 7 жыл бұрын

probably oprical tools.

@alderstifen7738 7 жыл бұрын

They got down on their elbows and knees and measured in cubits from Dunkirk and Spain. Painful for them, really.

@framegrace1 7 жыл бұрын

As they still do it today for smaller things. Teodolites, measuring angles and triangulating. And a lot of calculations that must have been a pain back in the day.

@sammikinsderp 7 жыл бұрын

One of the best videos I've seen yet. Keep up the good work

@Bornki405 7 жыл бұрын

I'm really amazed(?) by this community, you all are so awesome !

@yiklongtay6029 7 жыл бұрын

I want the story of the second ASAP. This is extremely fascinating.

@BelialsRevenge 7 жыл бұрын

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second#Based_on_cesium_microwave_atomic_clock

@GeneralRetard 7 жыл бұрын

That's why scientists increased the speed of light in 2208.

@extradeluxe141 6 жыл бұрын

James Moriarty also impossible.

@zanryll 7 жыл бұрын

could you do more videos explains the history of SI units? this was great

@Paul-et7wt 7 жыл бұрын

Love it. Thanks Hank.

@snowfloofcathug 7 жыл бұрын

A second is 9 192 631 770 changes between two hyperfine levels of a caesium-133 atom is it not? I used to know both the definition of a second and a meter, watching this video brings both of them back, so thank you

@Ostebrix 7 жыл бұрын

I am pretty sure that figuring out how to tell an alien what a meter is will be the least of our worries once we meet them LOL

@666Tomato666 7 жыл бұрын

when you're trying to describe the wavelength you like and instead of orange they interpret it as hard X-rays, no, I think this will be very high on the list of our worries

@cookeymonster83 3 жыл бұрын

If Star Trek has taught me anything it's that our first question should be: wanna make out?

@yuin3320 10 ай бұрын

Not really. If aliens are cooperative with each other enough to make it all the way to us, and capable of solving problems we're only now just scratching at, why the hell would we not want to communicate fundamentals accurately with them first and foremost? Sure a meter probably wouldn't be up _first,_ but it would be far from the least of what we should learn to communicate.

@gabrieltanzh 7 жыл бұрын

Pretty sure i'm not the only one that wants a video on what defines a second, and other SI units!!! Pleassseeeee!!!!

@FPKMASSACRE 7 жыл бұрын

Amazing quality video Hank!!

@7lllll 7 жыл бұрын

6.18724203x10^34 planck lengths would be a more objective definition

@Creuilcreuil 7 жыл бұрын

what is a plank lenght ?

@GraveUypo 7 жыл бұрын

planck length is completely hypothetical, can't be measured and probably never will, so not really a good measuring stick.

@jonathanschossig1276 7 жыл бұрын

Creuilcreuil _ The smallest possible length.

@Creuilcreuil 7 жыл бұрын

which is defined using which system ?

@jonathanschossig1276 7 жыл бұрын

***** metric

@JBerg_ 7 жыл бұрын

next topic: why is a second a second?

@becnal 6 жыл бұрын

Love this channel.

@Arnaz87 7 жыл бұрын

Oh god, now I desperately need the episode about the standard second. Please, make it happen!

@GraveUypo 7 жыл бұрын

it has already happened long ago.

@ZukaroTravon 7 жыл бұрын

I kinda want an entirely new measuring system which is defined entirely on absolutes (such as Kelvin for example). I also don't like when the definitions have a decimal in them or aren't some multiple of 10 in the thing we're using to define them (so in the case of the meter, the fact it's the distance light in a vacuum travels in 1/299792458 of a second bothers me, I'd much rather something like the distance light travels in 1/100,000,000 of a second; of course, a second also needs to be redefined as time in general is a complete mess (I despise that 1 minute is 60 seconds, I want metric time)). But that'll never happen as it's really just nitpicking and we certainly cannot redefine current standards as something smaller or larger than they currently are. And redoing all measuring systems, and then implementing them, would be far too costly. Another example is, I'd like years to be measured from the start of the universe. Basically, something absolute. I'd also not define a year based on the Earth's rotation at all, as this is only useful while on Earth and is also something which fluctuates.

@ZukaroTravon 7 жыл бұрын

However, metric time is something that I REALLY BADLY want to happen. It's such a pain in the ass trying to figure things out when 60 seconds = 1 minute, 60 minutes = 1 hour, and then suddenly out of the blue 24 hours = 1 day instead of 60 hours being a day. I know why that is, but it makes calculations involving time such a pain in the ass.

@katkhan6049 7 жыл бұрын

In Canada we spell it 'metre'. I can't even look at the title for too long.

@naryosh_ 7 жыл бұрын

Aluminum, Center, Meter, Color, Neighbor, Licorice, Sulfur, Phosphorus, Cesium

@alderstifen7738 7 жыл бұрын

Really? I've only ever seen it as "Meter" in Southern Ontario...

@KaliTakumi 7 жыл бұрын

Sounds like a sad life

@adamforsstrand2048 7 жыл бұрын

In Sweden we spell it "meter", "centimeter", "millimeter". Also I hate it when people spell/say "Aluminum" rather than "Aluminium". There are so many things in the english spelling, in general that needs to be looked up and redefined. (I use "Colour", "Neighbour", but still use "meter" and "liter" instead of "Metre" and "Litre" :v) #MisunderstandingEnglishIsKindaOK

@katkhan6049 7 жыл бұрын

100 Hold on just one sec -- aluminium, centre, metre, colour, neighbour, liquorice -- the rest I'm afraid my english is too Americanized to correct. Cheers!

@jonpugs1548 7 жыл бұрын

Man I love this channel

@riskzerobeatz 7 жыл бұрын

Awesome! Thank you!

@curioushybrid 7 жыл бұрын

A meter measures. A metre is a unit of measurement. ;P

@volvok7749 7 жыл бұрын

Simon Southey-Davis Here in France, we use a mètre to measure mètres so it's no big deal...

@curioushybrid 7 жыл бұрын

That's cheating ;)

@ruairidhgrass3479 7 жыл бұрын

Or 1 Cm cubed = 1 gram of water at it's maximum density (4°C) That is 1m cubed = 100 grams of water at it's maximum density (4°C)

@GraveUypo 7 жыл бұрын

water isn't unidimensional. 1 gram of water is 1 cm³ 1 kg of water is 1000 cm³ 1 ton of water is 1 m³ (1,000,000 cm³)

@ruairidhgrass3479 7 жыл бұрын

GraveUypo whoops I forgot to add the cubed my bad. will edit. btw 2 of your measurements are wrong

@karlscheel3500 6 жыл бұрын

Ruairidh Grass, actually, he's right on the money: 1 L = 1 dm³, 1 dm³ = 10 cm * 10 cm * 10 cm = 1 000 cm³, 1 L of water, measured at 4°C, has a mass exactly equal to 1 kg. 1 tonne = 1000 kg, Therefore, 1 tonne of water at 4°C has a volume of 1 000 * 1 000 cm³ = 1 000 000 cm³ √

@larryscott3982 6 жыл бұрын

Ruairidh Grass Oh the perils of not proof reading. “cubic meter = 100 g”. Glaring mistake. I’ll call it a typo. But as typos go, that’s huge.

@mattandmegandiercks8809 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for everything

@alyssakoo2089 7 жыл бұрын

I'm so glad this video was made. My mum is a spectrophotometrist. Which means she is a measurement scientist for light, (measured in candela). This is an area of science which most people don't know we need. She a part of the measurement lab for New Zealand. This is where they "keep" the ISU. They also have the national clock.

@ChintanPandya01 7 жыл бұрын

Trump be like: Oh. meter is fake news, doesn't exist. I measure distance in miles!

@sibusisomalunga9381 7 жыл бұрын

metre* 😅

@Krisztian5HUN 7 жыл бұрын

and litre 😆

@nicholastrombone9899 6 жыл бұрын

Either is correct so there is no need to bother him

@james-ch 6 жыл бұрын

Nicholas' Trombone no, metre is the unit, meter is the device

@canyadigit6274 5 жыл бұрын

James Ch *FACEPALM*

@E0710 7 жыл бұрын

Good video, thanks!

@sonicpsycho13 7 жыл бұрын

I had a summer fellowship at NIST several years ago. They have the standard meter artifact in a museum there, along with a retired standard kilogram. The kilogram is the only standard not defined by natural constants; it's still just an arbitrary hunk of metal.

@alexvolute7454 7 жыл бұрын

why are grams used as "mass", don't they measure weight? also is there any actual unit of mass?

@Quintinohthree 7 жыл бұрын

The Crazed Gamer Nope, Newtons measure weight, kilograms measure mass. A Newton is just a kilogram multiplied by a meter and divided by a square second though.

@shri03992 7 жыл бұрын

The proper SI unit for mass is kilograms (kg) or 1000 grams. Weight is the gravitational force of an object (Force = mass x acceleration), so while on other planets your weight will change substantially your mass will always be the same. The scales we use on earth are already taking into account our Earth's acceleration (g≃9.81...m/s²) so our actual weight would be our mass [kg] x 9,81 [m/s²] and the unit for that is N (Newton).

@bluelamboblackpresident6111 7 жыл бұрын

Weight is a force (caused by gravity) so it's measured in Newtons. Mass is the quantity of matter that makes an object (Kg). Object mass multiplied by gravitational constant (on earth it's 9.81 metres per second per second) = weight. Someone with mass 100Kg exerts 981 Newtons of force on the ground for example

@GraveUypo 7 жыл бұрын

kilogram is mass kilogram-force is weight two different things that people use interchangeably.

@jn1547 7 жыл бұрын

Incorrect spelling: "metre" refers to the SI unit where as "meter" is a measuring device for exampe 100 metres vs a water-meter

@brokensword1642 7 жыл бұрын

i wondered about this for so long back in school

@therealpunitdh 7 жыл бұрын

Hi SciShow, I love your videos! Can you make a video on Quantum Tunnelling?

@leonvain 7 жыл бұрын

To all the snarky people doing the metre* correction, he's American, it's the way we spell it. American English =/= British English.

@naryosh_ 7 жыл бұрын

Thank you

@OHYS 6 жыл бұрын

Lol stfu

@mastervrse4165 6 жыл бұрын

How about you stfu. He is just showing why it's spelled like that, no need to get mad about it.

@SaturnCanuck 7 жыл бұрын

For the record, its spelled metre.

@garrettnekuda911 7 жыл бұрын

please have a video for each fundamental measurement, and put them all in the same playlist.

@pokemonhacker01 7 жыл бұрын

This was on my mind yesterday... What a coincidence!

@koRnfreak1218 7 жыл бұрын

why can you drink a drink but cant food a food

@HajoBenzin1 7 жыл бұрын

I do not get it!! Why isnt it something very simple and fundamental like "1 billion-trillion hydrogen atoms in a row"??? You than also would have no problem with the definition of a second

@FingerThatO 7 жыл бұрын

sounds like too much work. calculating light would be much easier.

@RSmeep13 7 жыл бұрын

that's a lot less fundamental and harder to derive than the speed of light for a defined time. atoms don't line up like that.

@HajoBenzin1 7 жыл бұрын

but that depends on how accurate you can measure light waves it will not be 100% at any time

@HajoBenzin1 7 жыл бұрын

ony theoretical! like the diameter of one atom times 1 billion trillion is 1 meter. thats how I meant "in a row"

@ElectariumTunic 7 жыл бұрын

It was very simple. 1 meter was the distance between the equator and the north pole divided by ten million. (00:50) But as science progressed, the need for more accurate definitions of 1 meter was required. So instead of inventing a completely new unit of measurement, they just redefined the old one to be more precise.

@loconius 7 жыл бұрын

I can't wait for the second!!!

@superlemus2 7 жыл бұрын

Just today I was just looking up the kilogram, and the International Prototype of the Kilogram, which is the only fundamental SI measurement still defined by a physical object and not a natural constant.

@jumjam234 7 жыл бұрын

first

@D00Rb3LL 7 жыл бұрын

Krabbel8beiner for real though

@EM.6979 7 жыл бұрын

Spelt metre wrong lol

@EM.6979 7 жыл бұрын

OvertlyCynical I know but come on lol the US uses imperial, why does it have its own spelling for the metric system developed in France? Why not use the original spelling if it's for a system the country doesn't even use? Why change it?

@bluelamboblackpresident6111 7 жыл бұрын

Because murica. They like to be special so just leave them

@logitech4873 7 жыл бұрын

Many countries spell it like that, it's not unusual.

@jpwilbur9 7 жыл бұрын

We gotta buncha good stuff! Haha! Great ending Hank.

@BiPaganMan 7 жыл бұрын

The question about why a second is a second reminds me of a scene in Voltron Legendary Defender where they are trying to figure out the difference between "ticks" and seconds with basically stopwatches

@pouyouboy4153 7 жыл бұрын

I love how something that seems as banal and boring as a meter actually have such an awesome history and complexe reasoning. Thanks for the cool video :)

@moradtamer8261 7 жыл бұрын

Great video please make one for the Kilogram too

@vvdealmeida 7 жыл бұрын

I was not expecting this one to be interesting!

@jbz3 7 жыл бұрын

Way to raise the bar!

@okalright3070 7 жыл бұрын

that ending just made me so happy :)

@alexandrawilson-newman6956 7 жыл бұрын

I think you'll find it's metre, not meter

@quinn1401 7 жыл бұрын

It depends on the country you're in, mate

@alexandrawilson-newman6956 7 жыл бұрын

Quinn pretty sure it's metre everywhere but spesh ville Murica

@quinn1401 7 жыл бұрын

Quite right, but since they're mostly Americans at SciShow, it makes sense for them to spell it familiarly

@jackbaxter2223 7 жыл бұрын

A meter is something you use to measure things (e.g. thermometer, barometer), while a metre is a unit of measurement. Different things, different words.

@ThePetersilie 7 жыл бұрын

In Germany a "Meter" is a Metre.

@natjimoEU 7 жыл бұрын

loved it

@sourabhchougule6439 3 жыл бұрын

Sir you explain very good I like your explanation

@theMrFouldsy 7 жыл бұрын

Does this mean there'll be a series on each of the 7 fundamental SI units? That'd be pretty interesting.

@alespo 7 жыл бұрын

absolute and perfect pitch please!

@qwietryott2556 5 жыл бұрын

No matter where you go, there you are.

@caseykoons 7 жыл бұрын

Ooo do more SI definitions!

@horacioornelas6770 7 жыл бұрын

Please do the "what is a second" video. Really intrrested

@ihartevil 7 жыл бұрын

thx for this awesomely ha bisky vid i love learning things and that i can actually understand all of this

@jeffersfilms 7 жыл бұрын

learnt this in class yesterday - thats some coincidence

@PureGold197 7 жыл бұрын

You should make a video about how they defined a second

@gustavsandrup1380 7 жыл бұрын

+scishow how many times would you have to shuffle a deck of cards to get it in perfect order?

@kaifscarbrow 6 жыл бұрын

Hey! Could you please do a video on what is charge?

@BlankPicketSign 7 жыл бұрын

"WHY'S A SECOND A SECOND?" next please ♥

@maperns 7 жыл бұрын

Great! Could you guys make a video on that pure Silicon sphere to redefine the kilogram Veritasium's Derek made a video about some time ago?

@Fredjikrang 7 жыл бұрын

How about instead of changing to the metric system we make a minor change to the imperial system? And by that I mean redefine the foot as the distance light travels in a nanosecond. This would mean that a foot would be 0.2" shorter. A yard would be 0.6" shorter, and a mile would be 1056" shorter. (88 ft. We could also redefine a mile to 5000 ft, which would make it almost exactly 1.5km instead of 1.61km) this would make imperial very handy for science since it would be easy to convert between distance and light speed. Inches should probably be changed to 1/10th of a foot though. (100ps)

@AnonymousFreakYT 7 жыл бұрын

I really hope "a second" is defined as "the time it takes for light to travel 299,792,458 meters."

@ikbeniemnd 7 жыл бұрын

I thought the meter was chosen because a kilo of water at 20 degrees celcius is 1 square decimeter but decimeter was too short for standard measurements. Thats exacly the beautiful thing about the metric system, its a place where mass, volume and all other essentials come together in the metric system.

@dkdrock456 7 жыл бұрын

This episode really needed a JoJo To Be Continued Ending, I'm so excited for the follow up video!

@decepticonne 7 жыл бұрын

I read something about the platinum meter once, apparently even though platinum is supposed to be super stable it is still shrinking (at a very slow rate, mind). Must have something to do with the very fast oxidations and reductions Pt undergoes in the atmosphere or something.

@dantegamer0792 7 жыл бұрын

Thanks

@Continus 7 жыл бұрын

To define time to an alien, you could use hydrogen atoms. The electrons in hydrogen alternate at roughly one second intervals. They alternate not in electrical charge, but in their position around the nucleus. This was used as an example on the golden disc aboard the voyager spacecraft for the very same reason, to explain our version of time keeping.

@GuruGodPlays 7 жыл бұрын

Would love to see a "Why is a second a second" video now =D

@teacookie-wynn 7 жыл бұрын

I did an ted x ish talk in grade 8 about how long a second is. Technically, the definition of a second is the duration of 9 192 631 770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyper fine levels of the ground state of the cesium 133 atom.

@wilsonong2898 7 жыл бұрын

As accurate as these fundamental units get defined, everyone should know the primordial invention of such metric units.

@ricoquerol7263 7 жыл бұрын

Gracias

@cr4son 7 жыл бұрын

When you talk about the creation of the second, can you talk about Time Cube?

@41linestreet 7 жыл бұрын

If you watch this back to back with It's Okay To Be Smart's explanation about the meter, this one is much, much better

@konosuba5737 7 жыл бұрын

Meter and cm is amazing

@UnknownXV 7 жыл бұрын

This episode makes me think a lot about "The Arrival".

@200heatblast 7 жыл бұрын

plz make videos for the other SI units too bro

@kezzzzzzzzzzzzzz 7 жыл бұрын

I prefer the way of defining the meter as 1.6e-35 planck lengths and then defined time off of it not the other way around

@albertohamarneh8703 7 жыл бұрын

please do that video about why is a second is a second !!!!

@MaxKemeny 7 жыл бұрын

One thing that's interesting but you didn't mention is that the length of a pendulum which takes 1 second to swing is very nearly 1m (it's about 997mm at sea level). While the meter was never defined by the second beating pendulum, its length was influential on how long a meter should be, as the fraction of the Earth's circumference chosen to be the meter was chosen to very closely agree with the length of a second beating pendulum. Christiaan Huygens was the first person to propose the second beating pendulum as the basis for the meter, way back in the 1660s, although he called it an "hour foot".