Meet The New Kilogram

Trying to define the new standard kilogram by measuring the molar mass of silicon is a good idea, since the original definition, in terms of one thousand cubic centimeters of distilled water at atmospheric pressure, had way too many conditions placed on it.

REUTERS/Mick Tsikas

I would have liked to have seen a comparative paragraph thrown in on how the standard definition of the meter has changed from the original ten millionth of the distance from Earth's equator to the North Pole running through Paris, to the current distance that light travels in a certain fraction of a second. Of course, that's time measured in Earth's gravitational field, so general relativitistic corrections will have to be made at some point, when we can actually measure the small time dilation, but I guess it's good enough for now. Still, knowing that a standard kilogram is defined by two large silicon balls, heh, that's brings a smile to my face.