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How the Meter Became The Meter

Season 5 Episode 6 | 6m 02s

The meter is the world’s ultimate measure, but how did it become “the” meter? What is this measurement based on? The story of this revolution in measurement traces its roots to the French Revolution. Scientists decided that an equal and united people should have equal and united measures. So they sent a pair of young astronomers out to measure the world, and invent the meter.

Aired: 02/27/17
Extras
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How science unraveled one of the biggest myths in modern medicine...HIV's true origins.
I pushed my body in a climate & sports research lab to discover what extreme heat really does to us.
What exactly is the evolutionary purpose of love?
If everything around us is made of atoms, why can’t we actually see them?
This video explores the bizarre mathematics that show how infinity is far stranger than a number.
How Gerardus Mercator later created a map that transformed navigation forever.
DNA solves crimes, but what happens when it sends innocent people to prison?
Why are stop lights red? The real story is more complicated than you think.
How thousands of tiny brains, obeying simple rules, solve problems no individual can understand.
Joe visits a flavor lab to uncover how our senses shape our taste.