Michael Glaesser at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt with Kilogram 52. In June 22, 1799 the meter and the kilogram were realized as physical objects; today these are kept secure at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, located in a Paris subrurb.

The forthcoming documentary series THE STATE OF THE UNIT tells the story of the kilogram, the international unit of mass. Episodes cover the history of the kilogram from the French Revolution to the Quantum Revolution. How will this change influence you at the marketplace? And students in the classroom?

Each episode focuses on one aspect of the fascinating history of the kilogram:

  • a symbol for equality and rational governance after the French Revolution
  • its role as a standard for global commerce
  • a new quantum physics concept to be taught in schools
  • the next step in our ever-increasing desire for precision
  • and a 200-year-old wish realized of scientists to create a mass standard that will never change with time, or space.

Blog Posts and Preview clips from Episodes

The First Last Judgment

The most famous scene of weighing from antiquity is "The Weighing of the Heart" from the Book of the Dead. (I think of it as the First Last Judgment.) 0:53 min
The scene depicts the test to determine if the owner is worthy of pleasant eternal life. Features John H. Taylor, curator at the British Museum.

Cyphering Books

Are you smarter than a Colonial teenager? 1:52 min
Several years ago I wondered, How could the kilogram redefinition develop more quantum thinking in schoolkids around the world? I can't predict the future, but I found a precedent where kids learn what is taught for commerce and for science, from 200 years ago.

Precision vs Accuracy

Is there a difference between these words? 1:40 min
This short clip shows a few people telling us their definitions for these words. I was surprised by the varied answers.

Hilbert's Man on the Street

Hilbert argued that your work as a scientist isn't complete until the general public can understand your explanation. 2:34 min
I wonder if the rule applies to our quantum-based defintions of our units.

A Rock is a Clock

"A Rock is a Clock" introduces the quantum aspect of our weights and measures. 0:53 min
Quantum physics is counterintuitive and new research and experiences only reveal more puzzling results.
A Vélib' station near the Petit Palais

Losing weight: Science and tourism in the City of Light

After staying in Paris for several months, I found myself doing what I normally do in Champaign-Urbana: riding a bike and working on a science documentary. The two activities are related, but not in a way I'd imagined.

In the image: stop-motion animation of Germany prototype K22, made in 1870. Michael Gläßer told the story that the kilogram was moved for safety during World War II, and was caught in a bomb explosion and damaged.

Top image: Michael Glaesser at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt with Kilogram 52, one of Germany's national kilograms. Typically the national kilograms are stored under multiple glass lids; a speck of dust would change a kilogram's weight a tiny bit, but still too much for experiments.

Stop-motion animation of Germany prototype K22, made in 1870. Michael Gläßer told the story that the kilogram was moved for safety during World War II, and was caught in a bomb explosion and damaged.

About the Director: Amy Young graduated from CalArts with an MFA in Film Directing. She began work on the The State of the Unit as part of an documentary film exchange program at La Fémis in Paris, France.

I hope that you find the history and redefinition of the kilogram as fascinating as I do.