MEASURE FOR MEASURE, A DELIGHT

Beyond Measure: The Hidden History Of Measurement James Vincent

Faber £18.99

We are increasingly measuring our lives. From IQs and KPIs to the ubiquitous 10,000 steps, human beings now have unprecedented means of selfmeasurement: how much we sleep, eat, exercise and earn; how high we have climbed. Measurement is very much a fundamental part of how we organise and define our place in the universe.

In this fascinating book, journalist and debut author James Vincent takes us on a grand tour of the history of metrology and explains why it matters and how it has shaped the way we interact with our world. It is a remarkable story of human endeavour, experiment and belief, and of the contribution made by a roll-call of extraordinary individuals (Copernicus, Keplar and Daniel Fahrenheit, to name but a few).

Beginning with man’s early use of his own body as a tool of measurement, we are shown the way in which the scientific revolution and the application of mathematical principles to the natural world expanded the frames of reference for measurement, eventually bringing about such inventions as a reliable mechanical clock and the Celsius thermometer. Vincent looks, too, at the part played by measurement in modern society and how it informs our understanding of ourselves.

Along the way we also learn of the development of precision landsurveying and mapping techniques which enabled the colonisation of the US, and about the invention of statistics and the birth of the idea of ‘average’ and how the scientific estimates of populations can lead to racism and eugenics.

For the author, the single most significant event is the creation of the metric system during the French Revolution, when the standardisation of weights and measures was intended to eliminate the arbitrary imbalances of feudal life. He pays considerable attention to the ongoing – and highly topical – cultural battle between the imperial and metric systems. Recently redefined with greater accuracy, the metre is now, apparently, calculated against the speed of light. This is an erudite and elegant read, challenging in parts but highly accessible, and Vincent’s enthusiasm overcomes any difficulties in understanding such areas as relativity, thermodynamics and quantum physics. Delightful.