In honor of World Metrology Day: What do people mean when they say “I’ll be there in a minute?”
You’re probably familiar with Pi Day (March 14) and perhaps Pi Approximation Day (July 22).
How about International Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19), Monkey Day (December 14) or International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day (April 23)?
Now you can add another unofficial observance to your list, one with a much more respectable pedigree.
Today is World Metrology Day.
More than 80 countries will be celebrating the impact of measurement on our daily lives by commemorating the anniversary of the signing of the Metre Convention (also known as the Treaty of the Metre) in 1875. The treaty was established to coordinate international metrology and to develop the metric system.
Celebrating Metrology
The theme for 2016 is Measurement in a Dynamic World, referring to both the challenge of accurately measuring dynamic quantities and the rapid pace of change in metrology today. Numerous instruments are utilized in dynamical legal metrology, including:
- Automatic weighing instruments
- Electricity meters
- Instruments that measure the flow of water and other liquids or gases
- Taximeters
Of course, metrology as a whole extends far beyond these instruments.
Whether you’re checking the time on your smartphone, planning your route to the office or looking up the weather forecast, there are thousands of metrologists across the world and down through history to thank for such seemingly mundane conveniences.
“While metrology, the science of measurement, is as old as human civilization it continues to constantly change; it continues to see forward acceleration and it continues to be dynamic,” said Stephen Patoray, mechanical engineer and director of the International Bureau of Legal Metrology.
“The accurate knowledge of dynamic quantities is pivotal to progress in high technology, whether it is the high-speed movements in a disk drive, the variations in supply and demand from renewable energy sources on electricity grids or the drive for environmental improvement and fuel efficiency in the aerospace industry,” added Martin Milton, director of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures.
For more information, visit the World Metrology Day website.
To join in the celebration, follow #WorldMetrologyDay on Twitter.