Deep within a forest a little turtle began to climb a tree. After hours of effort he reached the top, jumped into the air waving his front legs and crashed to the ground. After recovering, he slowly climbed the tree again, jumped, and fell to the ground.
The turtle tried again and again while a couple of birds sitting on a branch watched his sad efforts. Finally, the female bird turned to her mate.
“Dear,” she chirped, “I think it's time to tell him he's adopted.”
International metric standardsIn 1875, the International Bureau of Weights and Measures was established in Sèvres, France, by the International Metric Convention, (also known as the Treaty of the Meter), initially signed by representatives of 17 nations. Contributions from signatory goverments support the Bureau, which became the depository for the International Prototypes of the Meter and the Kilogram, and secondary standards. In French, it is known as the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM). In subsequent years, additional nations joined, so by 2012 there are 53 member states, including all the major industrialized countries. The Convention thus provides the organizational structure for international agreements concerning matter relating to units of measurement. Each 20 May is now World Metrology Day.«[Original logo of the BIPM.] |
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