Audio

For Good Measure

Podcast: Big Picture Science (LS 58 · TOP 0.5% what is this?)
Episode: For Good Measure
Pub date: 2019-09-09

The reign of Le Grand K has come to an end. After 130 years, this hunk of metal sitting in a Parisian vault will no longer define the kilogram. The new kilogram mass will be defined by Planck’s constant, joining three other units for redefinition by fundamental constants.  But as we measure with increasing precision – from cesium atomic clocks to gravitational wave detectors able to measure spacetime distortions to 1/1000th the width of a proton – is something fundamental lost along the way?  Meanwhile, the BiPiSci team accepts the banana-measurement challenge.

Guests:

The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Seth Shostak, Molly Bentley, SETI Institute, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.

Playlist