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Defining the Kilogram: In Search of a Perfect Silicon Sphere

A silicon sphere

Researchers have had to admit that we simply don’t have the technology to recreate Escher’s Hand with Reflecting Sphere. “We’re only rediscovering now what Escher had back in 1935. And the fact there’s some crazy woman outside who keeps talking about ‘Merlin’s Grapefruit’ or something just keeps freaking distracting us.”

Okay, fine. Making shit up again. The real article is here. Spoilsport. They’re trying to make perfect silicon spheres to help them figure out…

…how many silicon atoms make up a kilogram, and this will be used as the new definition — bringing the kilogram into line with other base units such as the metre and the second, which are all defined by physical constants.

Found via Neatorama.