Is there any other way?

[Richard Henry]

I read in sci.electronics.design that "Rich, Under the Affluence"


I wrote about one 40 millionth of a Great Circle and you wrote about one
10 millionth of a Great Quadrant.

Not only are the attributions messed up, but so is the history.

The original French Revolution meter was intended to be one ten-millionth of
the distance at sea level from the Equator to the North Pole. A multi-year
survey was undertaken in the 1790's to determine the distance between
Dunkirk and Barcelona, whicch are on the same meridian and convenient to
French surveyors. Calculations to reduce the measurements to sea level
followed, and a standard metal bar was constructed which has two scratches
exactly one meter apart when observed at 0°C. The resulting measure is off
about 1/5 millimeter from modern satellite-based measurements.

 

[John Woodgate]

I read in sci.electronics.design that Richard Henry <[email protected]>

The original French Revolution meter was intended to be one
ten-millionth of the distance at sea level from the Equator to the
North Pole.

Along the meridian through Paris. Others may not be the same length, or
so the revolutionaries thought. 'La République n'a pas besoin de
savants.' after all.

 

[John Woodgate]

Wasn't it his brother Willie?

No, the name is quite genuine. Another case of nominative determinism
for 'New Scientist'.

 

[ngdbud]

I don't know, but probably a lot less than a 1 MW laser.

 

[ngdbud]

Even if half the light is thrown away, it's still tice as powerful as
the current laser.