Taxi driver: "That will be $3.50, please."
Passenger: "Oh dear, I'm afraid I'm a little short. Could you back up a little bit and make it $2.50, please?"
U.S. Standards BureauIn 1901, the U.S. National Bureau of Standards became effective. It had been established under an Act of Congress (31 Stat. 1449) approved 3 Mar 1901 that expanded the functions of the Office of Standard Weights and Measures, previously part of the Coast and Geodetic Survey. Its duties included the custody of the standards; comparison of standards; construction of standards; testing and calibration of standard measuring apparatus; and determination of physical constants and the properties of materials which are of great importance to scientific or manufacturing interests. The Bureau became the National Institute of Standards and Technology (N.I.S.T) in 1988.«* |
