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The New Physics and Its Evolution by Lucien Poincare
page 39 of 282 (13%)
use of the unit adopted by the physicists of the whole world will
spread more and more. It is right to remark that a few errors still
occur with regard to this unit, and that these errors have been
facilitated by incoherent legislation. France herself, though she was
the admirable initiator of the metrical system, has for too long
allowed a very regrettable confusion to exist; and it cannot be noted
without a certain sadness that it was not until the _11th July 1903_
that a law was promulgated re-establishing the agreement between the
legal and the scientific definition of the metre.

Perhaps it may not be useless to briefly indicate here the reasons of
the disagreement which had taken place. Two definitions of the metre
can be, and in fact were given. One had for its basis the dimensions
of the earth, the other the length of the material standard. In the
minds of the founders of the metrical system, the first of these was
the true definition of the unit of length, the second merely a simple
representation. It was admitted, however, that this representation had
been constructed in a manner perfect enough for it to be nearly
impossible to perceive any difference between the unit and its
representation, and for the practical identity of the two definitions
to be thus assured. The creators of the metrical system were persuaded
that the measurements of the meridian effected in their day could
never be surpassed in precision; and on the other hand, by borrowing
from nature a definite basis, they thought to take from the definition
of the unit some of its arbitrary character, and to ensure the means
of again finding the same unit if by any accident the standard became
altered. Their confidence in the value of the processes they had seen
employed was exaggerated, and their mistrust of the future
unjustified. This example shows how imprudent it is to endeavour to
fix limits to progress. It is an error to think the march of science
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