[USMA:26256] Re: Systems of units, optimism vs. pessimism

[Joseph B. Reid]

Carl Sorenson, in USMA 25942, deals with a posting from Marcus which 
I can not find on my computer. However, Marcus appears to want to 
replace the second with a more decimal umit.  That would involve 
changing most of the units in physics. Unfortunately Marcus was not 
in France 208 years ago.  A government decree on 1793 November 24 
said (my tranlatioon):

"The day, midnight to midnight, is divided into ten parts or hours, 
each part into ten others. and so on to smallest measurable portion 
of time. The hundredth part of the hour is called the *decimal 
minute*; the hundredth part of the minute is called the *decimal 
second*."

This decree was suspended on 1795 April 7.  I suspect that our 
Babylonian hours, minutes and seconds were too well established 
around the world.  Marcus must admit that the Babylonian units can be 
divided neatly in many more ways than can   be a stricly decimal day.















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Joseph B. Reid
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