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Largest overhaul of scientific units since 1875 wins approval

Official metal kilogram relinquishes its role to constants, but won’t yet retire — and more changes to scientific units are set to come.
  1. Elizabeth Gibney
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In the biggest overhaul of the international system of units since 1875, countries have voted to redefine four basic units of measurement — the ampere, the kilogram, the kelvin and the mole.

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Nature 563, 451-452 (2018)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-07424-8

Updates & Corrections

  • Correction 16 November 2018: The headline of this story originally misstated when the last major overhaul of scientific units took place. It was in 1875, not at the time of the French Revolution.

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