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Re: Metric Time (was Re: Why not 13 months? (Was La Systeme Metrique))
Dik T. Winter (dik@cwi.nl)
Wed, 11 Oct 1995 02:57:46 GMT
In article <813358833snz@foxhouse.demon.co.uk> Fred@foxhouse.demon.co.uk writes:
> The metre, however, is a contrived unit of length - an abstract
> concept, which is DEFININED very, very precisely. You may 'know
> the metre to a very high precision', but that knowledge is the
> definition...
You are wrong. The definition of the metre is exact (mumble mumble times
the distance light travels in a vacuum mumble mumble in one second). As
the speed of light is only known to a high precision the actual value of
the metre is also only known to a high precision; but its definition is
exact. (Of course the definition can change as it has done at least two
times.) If the definition was only very precise the definition would
contain the word "about" at least once.
--
dik t. winter, cwi, kruislaan 413, 1098 sj amsterdam, nederland, +31205924098
home: bovenover 215, 1025 jn amsterdam, nederland; e-mail: dik@cwi.nl
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