Up Next
Back to Show
It's Okay to Be Smart
How the Meter Became The Meter
Season 5
Episode 6
The meter is the world’s ultimate measure, but how did it become “the” meter? What is this measurement based on? The story of this revolution in measurement traces its roots to the French Revolution. Scientists decided that an equal and united people should have equal and united measures. So they sent a pair of young astronomers out to measure the world, and invent the meter.
Support Provided By
7:35
Stay informed. Stay cautious, but not scared.
12:19
Do the supposed advantages for springing forward and falling back hold up?
8:23
The sunlight we see is tens of thousands of years old. How is that possible?
8:19
If humans are so smart, why are our babies so… un-smart?
6:28
How will we do a Green Revolution 2.0?
10:44
Can trees really save us from climate change?
9:43
Could You Be a Chimera?
11:30
I went to NASA in Houston to talk to astronaut Don Pettit.
7:20
Why is ice slippery? It's a more complicated answer than it seems!
11:11
Recycling is broken. Here's how we can fix it.
14:55
People say insects are the food of the future.
11:53
Here’s a rundown of a few of the human body’s biggest evolutionary fails!