General Discussion

hunter

(40,540 posts)

3. If we were re-doing the metric system the nanosecond would be a useful measure of distance.

Fri Dec 9, 2016, 02:34 PM

Dec 2016

The nanosecond seems more rational and scientific than the meter, which was originally defined in 1793 as one ten-millionth of the distance from the equator to the North Pole, a measurement that turned out to be a little off, so they made a bar of platinum, put it in icewater and said here, there's your meter. (And it was handy to use that same icewater as the measure of zero degrees Celsius.)

A nanosecond is 11.8 inches.

A U.S. American football field might be 300 nanometers long, which is a little over 98% of 100 yards. Instead of a fifty yard line, you'd have a 150 nanosecond line.

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RADM Grace Murray Hopper-- computer scientist and programmer (COBOL) [View all] niyad Dec 2016 OP

I had the honor of meeting her twice. SeattleVet Dec 2016 #1

If we were re-doing the metric system the nanosecond would be a useful measure of distance. hunter Dec 2016 #3

that is so very cool!! what was she like in person? niyad Dec 2016 #7

Very personable, but you could tell that she could be as tough as nails. SeattleVet Dec 2016 #15

thank you so much for sharing a bit of this remarkable woman with us firsthand!! niyad Dec 2016 #16

ACM Grace Murray Hopper Award FarCenter Dec 2016 #2

thank you for that information on the award. niyad Dec 2016 #11

Grace Murray Hopper Park is located in Arlington, VA Recursion Dec 2016 #4

thank you for that lovely bit of information. niyad Dec 2016 #10

The wikipedia COBOL page is fascinating... hunter Dec 2016 #5

I look at the little bitty computer in my little bitty phone that is more powerful and with more niyad Dec 2016 #9

I existed in PDP-11 land. hunter Dec 2016 #14

3 open source projects for modern COBOL development FarCenter Dec 2016 #13

Remarkable woman! smirkymonkey Dec 2016 #6

she was indeed a most remarkable woman!! niyad Dec 2016 #8

. . . niyad Dec 2016 #12