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Strange Universe With Bob Berman
Strange Universe

Measuring madness

By Bob Berman
Published August 4, 2025 at 3:13 PM EDT
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1 of 1  — strange universe -- ipcc_bluemarble_east_lrg.jpg
Image converted using ifftoany
NASA images by Reto Stöckli, based on data from NASA and NOAA

We explore the quirky world of units—from the 1999 Mars Orbiter disaster caused by a metric vs. imperial mix-up to the colorful ways we measure everything from chili pepper heat to cotton and paper. You'll learn why U.S. territorial waters were once based on the range of a cannon shot, how Fahrenheit’s scale reflects geometric symmetry, and why a "barrel" of oil isn’t the same as a barrel of beer. With oddball units like skeins, quires, and cords still in use, maybe it’s finally time we all bolted over to metric!

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Strange Universe cosmosNASAMetric System
Bob Berman
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