Precision: The Measure Of All Things
July 2, 2022 8:52 AM Subscribe
2013 BBC series Precision: The Measure Of All Things has three hours, one on each of three topics of measurement, and how they were developed: Time And Distance; Mass And Moles; Heat, Light, And Electricity. I enjoyed the sort of James Burke / Connections feel of these episodes quite a bit.
If you dig this, you might go get The Perfectionists, by Simon Winchester. It's a pretty good romp about the history of precision engineering, told via progressively more precise requirements for machinery.
posted by nushustu at 10:21 AM on July 2, 2022 [8 favorites]
posted by nushustu at 10:21 AM on July 2, 2022 [8 favorites]
I definitely am watching Mass and Moles as soon as I have an hour to kill. I've got a chemistry background and am always amazed how much early scientists could deduce about the world without using x-ray diffraction or NMR or FTIR.
posted by mark k at 1:20 PM on July 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by mark k at 1:20 PM on July 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
Up here in Vermont, in what was once known as Precision Valley, we have the American Precision Museum, well worth a visit especially for those interested in mechanical precision.
posted by beagle at 2:06 PM on July 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by beagle at 2:06 PM on July 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
Whoa! Awesome stuff!
And I’m adding that Winchester book to my pile!
posted by Don.Kinsayder at 2:14 PM on July 2, 2022
And I’m adding that Winchester book to my pile!
posted by Don.Kinsayder at 2:14 PM on July 2, 2022
A month or so ago I fell down a rabbit-hole regarding metal finishing and discovered the world of hand-scraping, which can make metal surfaces much more flat than mechanical surface grinders. One of my favorite and most salt of the earth hand-and-tool YouTube machinists, ROBREV, mentions "The Foundations of Mechanical Accuracy," which seems like a cool book.
posted by rhizome at 2:37 PM on July 2, 2022
posted by rhizome at 2:37 PM on July 2, 2022
MetaFilter: once known as Precision Valley
posted by hippybear at 4:11 PM on July 2, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 4:11 PM on July 2, 2022 [2 favorites]
This series is fantastic, watching it now! Thank you so much for making the post :)
posted by wowenthusiast at 5:00 PM on July 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by wowenthusiast at 5:00 PM on July 2, 2022 [1 favorite]
If you prefer your history in comic book format, I suggest The Amazing Story of Measurement, from the Lufkin Tool Company circa 1949. I have a copy I found in my mother’s house, presumably via her engineer father. Kind of neat, if subject to the limitations of the form.
posted by TedW at 7:18 AM on July 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by TedW at 7:18 AM on July 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
I'm digging it. I love Connections and James Burke. Thanks
posted by princelyfox at 9:20 AM on July 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by princelyfox at 9:20 AM on July 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
The audiobook version of Winchester’s The Perfectionists is very pleasantly calming.
posted by clew at 10:13 AM on July 3, 2022
posted by clew at 10:13 AM on July 3, 2022
circa 1949
A lot of the content in these episodes is very specifically moving measurement forward beyond the standards available in 1949. Probably a good primer, but we've come a long way since then.
posted by hippybear at 5:43 PM on July 3, 2022
A lot of the content in these episodes is very specifically moving measurement forward beyond the standards available in 1949. Probably a good primer, but we've come a long way since then.
posted by hippybear at 5:43 PM on July 3, 2022
« Older "What's it like to be a girl in a band?" | To fit into your tribe, you must first go through... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by neuron at 9:56 AM on July 2, 2022 [2 favorites]