Monday, 20 May 2019

20 May: Weights and Measures Day

Weights and Measures Day is the anniversary of the 1875 signing of a treaty establishing the International Bureau of Weights and Measures. Here are 10 weights and measures facts.

  1. In the metric system, units smaller than a metre have Latin prefixes - deci- centi- and milli- for example, while units larger than a metre have Greek prefixes - deca- hecto- or kilo- for example.
  2. There are only three countries in the world which don't officially use the metric system. These are MyanmarLiberia and the USA.
  3. The science of measurement standards and methods is known as metrology.
  4. The word "pint" comes from an old French word for "painted", for marks painted on the side of a container to indicate capacity.
  5. Early units of measurement were based either on the human body or objects found in nature. A "foot" for example was initially the length of a human foot. Of course, measurements based on the size of people's Feet, arms or hands inevitably ran into problems because people aren't all the same size. Hence the measurements would be based on the size of an individual's foot, usually the king.
  6. The word "mile" comes from the Latin world for a thousand, Mille. The first miles were Roman miles, which were the length of a thousand paces taken by Roman soldiers on the march. A league, similarly, was a unit of measurement based on the distance a person could walk in an hour.
  7. A mile on land and a mile at sea are not the same thing. A nautical Mile is 6,080 feet. A land or statute Mile is 5,280 feet.
  8. "Inch" and "ounce" both derive from the same root - the Latin word uncia, meaning one twelfth.
  9. A "furlong" is a measurement dating back to Anglo Saxon times and derives from the Old English words furh (furrow) and lang (long). It was originally the distance a team of oxen could plough without resting.
  10. The standard unit of measurement for precious metals and gemstones is a carat. This unit of measurement is based on the weight of a carob seed, which was used as a weighing standard by jewellers in Africa and the Middle East. The word "Carat" is believed to be derived from an Arabic word meaning "bean" or "seed."

Closing the Circle

A stable wormhole has been established between Earth and Infinitus. Power Blaster and his friends can finally go home.

Desi Troyes is still at large on Earth - Power Blaster has vowed to bring him to justice. His wedding to Shanna is under threat as the Desperadoes launch an attempt to rescue their leader. 
Someone from Power Blaster's past plays an unexpected and significant role in capturing Troyes.

The return home brings its own challenges. Not everyone can return to the life they left behind, and for some, there is unfinished business to be dealt with before they can start anew.

Ben Cole in particular cannot resume his old life as a surgeon because technology no longer works around him. He plans a new life in Classica, away from technology. Shanna hears there could be a way to reverse his condition and sets out to find it, putting herself in great danger. She doesn't know she is about to uncover the secret of Power Blaster's mysterious past.

Available from:

Amazon (Paperback)

Completes The Raiders Trilogy. 

Other books in the series:
Book One
Book Two

              

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